


To Catch a Thief

by LOTSlover



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crime Fighting, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Kissing, Mystery, Romance, Sexy Times, Squee, Suspense, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-11-05 16:09:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 182,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11016879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: Set after the events of “The Once and Future Thing, Part II”, Bruce struggles to come to terms with a startling revelation that he’d learned from his future self, but his self-imposed isolation is interrupted when he and Diana are forced to go undercover as a couple in order to break up a heist and stop a thief. BMWW.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**_New York City; September 10th, 02:32 EST_ **

He stood before the now empty display case, a sly smirk forming on his lips as he ran his fingers over the small, black velvet bag that held his newest acquisition. The rush of adrenaline that came with every single heist he pulled off was still pumping wildly through his veins and making his pulse race.

It had been a little trickier than he had originally planned, but he’d done his research, studied and mapped out every single detail down to the letter. He knew every feature of the security system that had been installed in order to protect, but had come across a secondary system that he hadn’t been aware of. He had still been able to disable it within seconds. His patience and diligence had paid off in spades and now he held his reward firmly in his hand.

He carefully placed his personal business card in the empty display case where it would be found far too late to ever catch up to him. Of course, no one had been able to apprehend him in the last three years. Now would be no different. He was untouchable…invincible.

He silently slipped through the condo like a living shadow that no one could get their hands on, passing by Ming vases and priceless artwork. None of them interested him in the least. He had come for what he had wanted. Nothing else here mattered. 

He paused at the balcony doors, his leather clad fingers wrapping around the brass handle. He peered back over his shoulder at the tranquil setting he was leaving behind. The owners would be quite surprised when they returned home from their European vacation tomorrow evening.

Opening the doors, he crept out onto the balcony, escaping into the darkness. The chaotic sounds of traffic filled the air, the brilliance of the city that never slept swallowing him up as he shot his grappling line. He allowed it to carry him into the night and away from the crime scene. He leapt from one rooftop to the next, staying out of sight. 

After several blocks, he scaled down the side of a building and slipped into a nearby alley, stopping behind a row of dumpsters overflowing with trash. He quickly glanced around, ensuring his privacy before slipping his mask off as well as his gloves and utility belt. He grabbed the satchel that he’d left there over an hour ago, stuffing his prize deep inside for safe keeping.

He pulled his black fitted shirt that fit like a second skin over his head, changing back into his dress shirt and tailored suit jacket. Pulling on his dress shoes, he grabbed his satchel, slipping the handle over his shoulder. Drawing a deep breath to calm his still hammering heart, he ran his fingers back through his hair before adjusting the sleeves of his jacket.

It was never anxiety or the fear of being caught that caused his heart to flutter like the frantic wings of a hummingbird after the quest was finally over. It was the sheer excitement of the moment, the thrill of the hunt and the reward of a job accomplished, knowing all along that no one would ever be intelligent enough to catch him.

With a confident smile on his lips, he stepped out into the street, pride filling him with the knowledge that this had been his biggest heist to date, one worth twenty million dollars. Such a small object and yet it was far more valuable than anything he’d stolen up until now. It wasn’t just about the money, though. It was the significance behind the item itself.

He leisurely wandered the streets of New York, taking in the various sights, sounds and smells, the energy that literally vibrated around him. It was only his third trip here and already he found it addicting compared to the serenity of his home.

He kept a firm grip on the handle of his leather satchel that hung from his shoulder as he made his way back towards his hotel on the Upper East End. The air was mildly humid, but not particularly uncomfortable. A faint breeze brushed against his face, causing his eyes to fall closed as the scent of food assaulted him. It reminded him that he had yet to eat dinner. He would rectify that as soon as he returned to his room and his stash was safely stored away.

Approaching The Lowell, he was met by the doorman who gave him a pleasant smile. “Welcome back, sir,” he greeted him with a nod of his head. “I hope your night was enjoyable.”

“It was very pleasant…thank you,” he replied with a responding nod as he passed through the door.

He walked through the empty front lobby of the luxurious hotel, making his way to the elevators with the self-assurance that coursed through him. Reaching the penthouse suite, he inserted his key card before entering, closing and locking the door behind him.

It was done.

_**Watchtower; September 15th, 18:56 EST** _

Superman swept through the doors of the founders’ conference room to find Diana already in her seat as usual, Flash leaning against the edge of the table talking to her with his arms folded against his chest and a playful smirk on his face. John was sitting on the other side of the table, lost in conversation with J’onn. The only other person missing was Batman.

It wasn’t that out of the ordinary for Batman to be the last member to arrive or to not show up at all, especially since he and John had returned from their mission to stop Chronos. He’d been acting more elusive, far more distant even for him. He had seen very little of his best friend since that mission over six weeks ago, making him wonder what had actually happened during that time that Batman wasn’t willing to talk about let alone face.

Clark had thought about talking to John about what had happened that hadn’t appeared in the mission reports they had both filed, but had hoped that with time Batman would just eventually fall back into his usual patterns. So far, though, that hadn’t happened.

He’d traded monitor duty shifts, missed the last five founders’ meetings, and had been missing in general on the Watchtower. He’d tried contacting him last week just to check on him, but had been completely shut down with a clipped growl of “I’m busy” followed by a dead communication line.

Slipping into his seat at the head of the table, Superman couldn’t help but wonder if he should make a personal visit. He decided if he didn’t show up for the meeting this afternoon, he was going to have to make a trip to Gotham to find out what was going on with his complicated friend.

“So is Bats a no-show again?” Flash asked. “This will make…what? Five meetings in a row now? Okay, who ticked off the Bat this time? I demand answers!”

“Well, let’s see…” John thought fully replied, pausing for dramatic effect. “It was more than likely you since you’re the one who gets under his cowl all the time with your stupid pranks.”

“Hey!” Flash cried in indignation as he straightened up. “I haven’t done anything to make him mad in a long time.”

“Nobody ticked Batman off,” Superman interrupted them. “I’ve been in contact with him and he is very busy with Gotham right now.”

“Riiight,” Flash drawled with a smirk. “Fifty bucks says something happened when he and John went to the future that freaked him out and now he’s in hiding.”

“Let’s just get started with the meeting,” Superman suggested, sensing that Flash was closer to the truth than any of them had probably known, but didn’t want to elaborate on it until he knew more about what was going on with him. “We have a lot on the agenda to discuss today.”

Flash leaned down towards Diana, wiggling his eyebrows beneath his red mask. “Well, it doesn’t look like our dark and freaky friend is coming. Mind if I sit by you, gorgeous?”

“Take your seat, Flash,” Superman sternly told him. He wasn’t in the mood for Wally’s sassy rejoinders today or his flirting with Diana. “We have a lot to discuss and we need to get started.”

“Is there something going on?” John asked with a frown, picking up on the edge in the Man of Steel’s voice.

“We have a lot on the agenda to discuss, but I’m concerned about a new criminal that is starting to make quite a name for himself,” Clark revealed.

“Who is this individual?” J’onn asked.

“As of now, he has no name that we know of,” Clark replied.

“No name?” Flash repeated in disbelief. “How can he have no name?”

“What’s going on, Kal?” Diana questioned him, sitting forward in her chair with a sudden sense of urgency.

“Thefts began all over England a little over three years ago, starting out with minor robberies that have gradually progressed in degree of difficulty,” Clark explained. “Over the last year, he’s expanded his activity to Europe and the United States, targeting higher valued items. Last week, he stole a rare diamond in New York City estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars. Two weeks before that, he stole an ancient Egyptian dagger from a wealthy family in Metropolis.”

It was John’s turn to question the Man of Steel as his folded hands came to rest on top of the conference table. “Do you have any more information on this guy?”

“He leaves a calling card behind that is completely blank,” Superman told them. “That’s the only thing that ties all of these robberies together.”

“There has to be more to this thief,” Flash pressed. “Has he ever been caught on security or surveillance cameras?”

“No, he’s never been seen and no other clues have been left behind,” Superman said with a shake of his head. “We’re going on very little here.”

“It appears the higher the risk and the danger, the greater the attraction for this thief,” Diana interjected. “The article stolen is just a bonus….a reward for being able to breech the strongest security measures and escape detection.”

“I agree with Diana,” J’onn commented. “It appears he finds greatest pleasure in the degree of jeopardy involved, not just in the item he is seeking to steal.”

“Are we even certain that it is a man?” Diana asked. “This could be a woman or someone with Meta abilities that we don’t know about yet.”

“I guess it could be a woman,” Clark decided with a frown. “At this point, the police have been going under the assumption that this is a man. We have nothing to confirm that this is a Meta, but it’s always a possibility that needs to be considered.”

“This is all very fascinating, but what does this have to do with the Justice League?” Flash finally raised the question that had been lingering in his mind since Superman began the meeting.

“We need to be on the lookout for him,” Superman stated. “His activities have been escalating in recent months. He’s turning his attention from jewelry store heists to some very rare artifacts that will be lost to the world unless we can stop him.”

“There’s also no predicting how dangerous this person truly is,” Diana added. “If he isn’t able to get what he wants, there’s no telling what he might resort to or what his end game actually is by collecting all these items.”

“Agreed,” Clark replied. “That’s why we need to stay alert.”

“We need to bring Batman in on this,” Diana decided. “He’d be best able to help figure out who this person is and how to stop him.”

“I don’t know how much help we’re actually going to be able to receive from Batman at this time,” Clark hesitantly informed them. “When I contacted him last week, he was pretty heavily involved in a case in Gotham. For the time being, we’re going to have to work through this one on our own. 

“I’d be happy to head it up and look into these thefts,” Diana offered.

“That would be great, Diana,” Clark replied. “We’ll all help out when we can, but I know things have been pretty busy around here lately for everyone. Now, next item on the agenda—new League memberships. We have several new members that are going to need training and…”

Diana thoughts drifted from the conference room and Superman’s discussion to this mysterious new thief. While she was anxious to get involved in the case, she found herself wishing that Batman was here to provide some insight. He was the true detective among them, his skills unparalleled when it came to cases such as these.

She couldn’t help wondering what it was that was keeping Bruce away this time. It wasn’t unusual for him to disappear from the League for days or weeks on end only to reappear as if nothing had ever happened, but something about it all felt off this time for some reason.

She wished that she could remember all the details of what had happened during that time-travelling mission to stop Chronos. It had to be the key as to why Batman was avoiding them and why he refused to set foot on the Watchtower. Had he really encountered something in the future that had affected him like Wally had suggested?

Her contemplative gaze fell on Green Lantern who was listening intently to Superman, his fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the lid of his coffee mug. She had read the files that both John and Bruce had filed for the mission in hopes of remembering something, but it still hadn’t awakened any memories for her. She was going to have to talk to John to see if she could get to the bottom of this and hopefully find out what was wrong with Bruce.

She was growing worried about the Dark Knight of Gotham. She missed seeing him on the Watchtower and going on missions with him. Despite his prickly demeanor at times, she enjoyed the way he always challenged her not only intellectually but physically when she sparred with him in the training room.

It had felt like forever since they’d last trained together. He’d cancelled on her soon after the time-travelling mission and had not returned any of her calls or messages to reschedule. Something was definitely going on with her friend and she intended to find out what it was whether he liked it or not.

_**Batcave; September 15th, 19:29 EST** _

Bruce sat before his Cray computer system in his cave reviewing case files, his cowl resting against his back. He frowned as he began to notice an all too familiar pattern developing; one that told him more trouble was brewing in Gotham again. 

There had been a string of robberies recently that he had a feeling pointed to one person in particular. At first glance, they were thought to be unrelated, but he was noticing a common thread in the thefts that he didn’t like. There was one individual that could be responsible for it and for once it wasn’t Selina Kyle.

It had been several months since he’d last seen her. She’d tried to seduce him when he had tried to apprehend her stealing some jewels from a prominent Gothamite. While he couldn’t ignore the desire that she had awakened in him when she kissed him breathless, he knew deep down that it would never be more than that—physical desire. She was beautiful and he was lonely. She was unattainable with her penchant for stealing and he couldn’t afford to commit to anyone making it a flawed, dysfunctional relationship from the very start.

He sat back in his chair with a sigh, his elbow coming to rest on the armrest as he broodingly rubbed his chin with his forefinger as he pushed thoughts of Selina aside. He needed to focus on the developing case. He was going to have to figure out where the next theft would occur before they could strike again.

“I take it you’re not attending the founders’ meeting scheduled for this evening?”

Bruce ground his teeth as Alfred’s voice invaded his thoughts as well as his private sanctuary that was his second home. “No,” he bluntly stated without looking up from his computer screen.

“That’s the fifth meeting you’ve missed since—”

“I realize that,” he interrupted with a razor-sharp edge, knowing what he was going to say next.

He didn’t want to be reminded, didn’t want to think about that last mission he’d been on with the League. He didn’t want to be forced to deal with emotions that it had only managed to intensify within him nor did he want to think about the things that he’d learned from his future self. It was why he’d been avoiding the Watchtower…why he’d been evading her.

_“You’re going to listen whether you like it or not…”_

His elder self’s words flashed through his mind for the millionth time since his return. He didn’t want to deal with it so he’d sequestered himself in Gotham for the last month and a half. Seeing her meant facing his feelings…facing the things that he’d learned in the future. He wasn’t prepared to do that. He might never be at this point, but he needed time to think and to figure out what he was going to do about what he had learned in the future.

Shutting out any more thoughts of her, Bruce noticed Alfred was still standing there off to the side, patiently waiting with disapproval clearly written on his face. “What is it, Alfred?” he asked with unmistakable exasperation.

“Might you be intentionally avoiding a particular someone?” he innocently inquired, clasping his hands before him. He already had a feeling that he knew the answer, but he still hoped that some prying might reveal some information and fill in all the missing pieces.

“I’m not avoiding anyone,” Bruce bit out, sitting forward in his chair as he began to pull up more files.

“So you wouldn’t care if a certain Amazon were to appear at the manor to see you,” Alfred coyly mentioned.

Bruce’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his surrogate father. “Diana’s here?”

The flash of panic in the younger man’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by the British Butler nor did the momentary look of fear that had passed over his face. “No, she’s not here,” he simply stated with a smile that only grated even further on the Dark Knight’s nerves. “Care to talk about what happened with her that has you hiding out here with only the bats for company for the last six weeks?”

Bruce turned his attention back to his computer screen, a fierce scowl forming on his face. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he snapped. “Nothing happened with Diana and nothing will.”

“Something clearly happened or you wouldn’t be in such a delightful mood for the last month and a half,” Alfred patiently probed. “There has to be a reason that you’ve confined yourself to this dreadful cave.”

“I have a lot of work to do,” he evenly stated. “You know that Gotham needs me.”

“Well, Gotham is beginning to talk,” Alfred revealed. “The tabloids are wondering where the playboy Bruce Wayne has been these last several weeks. You have not been seen outside of the few times that you actually managed to show up for work at Wayne Enterprises and tongues are beginning to wag.”

Bruce’s chin fell to his chest, the frustration and indecision that he’d been wrestling with for the last few weeks bubbling like lava just beneath the surface and set to erupt. “What events are coming up in the next few weeks?”

“You’ve received an invitation to a party that is being thrown by Miss Veronica Vreeland in two weeks,” he informed him.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes closed against the headache that was building, already detesting the thought of attending one of her parties. While Ronnie was a good friend to Bruce Wayne, the people that attended those parties were obnoxious and self-centered in the worst kind of way.

That was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. Besides, the thought of having to spend the evening with another date that held no interest for him made him internally shudder. “What else is there?”

“Rebecca Connelly has left a couple of messages wondering when the two of you would be going out again,” Alfred replied, already knowing what his charge’s response would be. He shouldn’t have bothered bringing it up.

Releasing an aggravated huff, Bruce sat back, rubbing his face with his hands. “Send her some roses and a note apologizing for my lack of response. Wish her well, but I’ll be indisposed for the next few months and unable to see her for the unforeseeable future.”

Alfred slowly shook his head, knowing the brush-off line all too well. It was one that he’d had to use in an effort to placate more women over the years than he could begin to count. At least Rebecca would be receiving some flowers with the rejection. Typically, Bruce Wayne failed to respond at all.

“I will be sure to see to it first thing tomorrow,” Alfred reassured him.

“What other events are coming up?” Bruce asked.

“You have been invited to attend an exclusive four day event in four weeks,” he informed him. “The estate of a Mister Leo Vanover will be selling his entire collection of rare antiques and jewels at his castle in England.”

Bruce thoughtfully frowned as he seemed to consider it for a moment, the thought of obtaining some rare antiques for the Gotham Museum almost appealing to him. “I can’t be gone from Gotham for that long,” he ultimately decided with a definitive shake of his head. “I’ll have to make an appearance at the Gotham Museum exhibit gala next week. That will have to do. It should shut everyone up for a while.”

Alfred released a weary sigh. “Shall I arrange a date for the event, Master Bruce?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Bruce mumbled under his breath, barely acknowledging what his butler had said. He was far too engrossed in the string of robberies that had started in Gotham to be thinking about banquets and dates and women.

“As you wish, sir,” Alfred dutifully replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to dye my hair green and join the Joker’s gang.”

Bruce’s response was a cross between a grunt and a snort, too absorbed in the file he was reading to pay any attention to what was being said to him. He was trying to discover which store was going to be hit next before the thief stuck again, thoughts of being Bruce Wayne being pushed aside as the Bat took over once more.

Alfred shook his head in dismay as he finally turned to leave him to his work. He knew something involving Princess Diana had occurred on that last mission, something that had sent him into a complete tailspin. He had come back from missions somewhat rattled before, but never to this extent.

He had hoped that he would begin to open up a little bit about what had upset him so deeply, but he’d been as tight-lipped as ever. Whatever it involved, he just hoped that he worked through it soon and that it didn’t involve shutting the Amazon princess out of his life.

Alfred could always tell when Bruce had been around Miss Diana over the past three years. There was a definite lightness to his demeanor, a sense of peace that had long been absent since Bruce had been a young boy. He would almost call it…dare he say…happiness? 

Miss Diana certainly had that affect on people and it appeared that Gotham’s vigilante was no different. He was not immune to the charms of the Amazon warrior. He didn’t think that Bruce was even aware of the influence that she had on him. 

If he was aware of it, he was clearly choosing to ignore it which was why had been holed up in his blasted cave for the last several weeks avoiding her and everyone else at all cost. Something had most definitely hit a nerve with him.

Heading up the stairs into the manor, Alfred just hoped that Bruce would allow himself a small piece of happiness in his life instead of shutting out the only ray of light that had been able to penetrate his self-imposed darkness. For that to happen, he knew they would need a miracle of great proportions.

**_Gotham; September 16th, 00:43 EST_ **

Batman studied the jewelry store from the dark shadows where he always worked best, where he thrived and where he had been sentenced to exist since he was eight-years-old. Living beyond the reaches of the shadows…being exposed to the light was for other heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman. They were the bright and shiny heroes, the face of the Justice League.

No, he needed to stay in the dark and be a part of the night to do the things that only he could do, the things that terrified criminals and made them give up things that they wouldn’t confess to their own mothers. The darkness was secure, comfortable to him like a safe haven. The dark always hid a multitude of sins as well as the repulsive scars that he continuously carried with him both inside and out. If anyone truly knew them…if _she_ truly knew him, she would be repulsed by him.

That was also partly why the others weren’t welcome here in Gotham, especially now while he was working. “Get out of my city,” he darkly growled without even turning around to face his unwanted visitor, his jaw locking with anger at the blatant interference in his patrol. He didn’t have time for a social call right now. He had a thief to stop.

“Good to see you too, Batman,” Superman sarcastically replied as he approached him from behind.

“What do you want?” The Caped Crusader bluntly demanded an answer, gritting his teeth in overt irritation. The only solace he found in this little visit from Clark was that _she_ hadn’t come with him.

“I wanted to see how you were doing and if everything was all right,” he carefully ventured, tiptoeing around the heart of the issue. It was never easy prying information out of Bruce even on a good day. This was obviously not going to be one of those days.

“I’m fine,” he rasped with a dark grate, his hands balling into fists of fury. “Now leave before someone sees you.”

Superman drew a fortifying breath, knowing he was going to need all the patience that he could possibly muster in order to deal with Bruce when he was in one of these moods. “So that’s it?” he pressed, obstinately crossing his arms against his muscular chest and refusing to back down. “You’ve been missing from the League for over six weeks, trading shifts and missing meetings and this is all the explanation I’m going to get from you?”

“I’m a part-time member, remember?” Batman pointed out. “Besides, I haven’t been missing. I’ve been here in Gotham.”

“You know what I mean,” Superman said with obvious exasperation, his annoyance rising along with his voice. “We’ve been worried about you. Whether you like it or not, we’re all your friends and everyone has been asking where you’ve been. Diana has been especially worried—”

Batman instantly bristled with the mention of Diana’s name, his breath catching in his throat against his will. “I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I just have some things that I need to deal with right now.”

Superman stared at Batman’s back, silently willing him to turn around and at least face him, to open up even just a little bit. “Did something happen on that last mission with John and Diana that I need to know about? Something that you didn’t put in the mission report?”

“No,” Batman immediately snapped as he inconspicuously pressed a button on his gauntlet. He realized that he’s responded a little too defensively. He needed to do some damage control now, allay his worry lest she started showing up in Gotham as well to find out what was going on with him. He didn’t want talk about the things that he learned from his trip to the future. It was causing him nightmares as it was.

“Bruce…” Superman pressed, knowing that using his real name would only further stir his friend’s anger. With any luck, though, it would cause him to admit something about whatever was going on with him in order to get him to leave his city.

“There have been a string of robberies in Gotham that I’m investigating,” he heatedly growled as he finally spun around to face him, his jaw set like granite. “Nothing more is going on that you, Diana, or anyone else needs to be concerned about.”

Clark was not convinced by his admission, but the talk about robberies reminded him of his other reason for being here. “If you say so,” he relented with a frown. “I also wanted to talk to you about a thief that Diana and I—”

“This is Batman,” Bruce rasped, turning his head slightly as he paused to listen to whatever was filling his earpiece. “Got it. I’m on my way.”

“What’s going on?” Superman asked, forehead creased with concern.

“None of your business,” Batman flatly stated, turning to fire his grappling gun. “You can leave now. I’ll be back with the League when I can.”

“But I—”

Superman was unable to get another word in as Batman was quickly taken away by his grappling line, leaving the Man of Steel standing there all alone on the rooftop. His fingers curled into his palms, more than annoyed with his friend and his determined refusal to talk to him.

He fought against the overwhelming urge to follow him and force him to talk, but deep down he knew that was a futile endeavor. It would only cause Bruce to shut down and completely shut them all out even more than he already had. 

He couldn’t help wondering if maybe Diana would have better luck with him. She always had a way with Bruce, able to get through to him in ways that no one else had ever been able to. It was as if the two of them shared some sort of invisible bond with each other, Diana having a way about her that Bruce actually seemed to respond to. It was amazing to witness; especially seeing how no else in this world besides Alfred had been able to accomplish such a miraculous feat in all the years that he’d known Bruce.

Releasing a sigh, Superman finally left, not even aware that Batman was standing on top of a nearby building waiting to see what his friend was going to do. For a moment, Bruce had thought for certain that Clark was going to try to follow him. Thankfully, the Kryptonian had changed his mind and left.

“Did it work?”

“Yes, he left,” Batman responded. “Where are you headed now?”

“East End,” Batgirl told him.

“Good,” he stated, his gaze still fixed on the jewelry store below. “Call if you run into anything you can’t handle. Batman out.”

Just as he was moving back into position to keep watch, his commlink came alive once again. “Batman, could use some back up over on Twenty-third and Main,” Robin notified him, the sounds of a fight in the background. “I’ve got a gang fight that broke out at a convenience store.”

“On my way,” he acknowledged.

Firing his grappling gun again, he cursed under his breath. It was bad enough that Clark had shown up in Gotham, but now he was forced to leave the store that was more than likely to be hit next if his thief followed the pattern he’d discovered. He knew it couldn’t be helped, though. He’d have to deal with the gang fight first and then circle back here before the thief struck.

Landing near the Batmobile, he unlocked it before climbing in, his thoughts arrested at that moment by the one person that he was trying his hardest not to think about. Knowing that she’d been worried about him over the last month aroused things inside of him that he didn’t want to talk about let alone feel especially now.

He needed to steel himself against these unwanted feelings once and for all. The problem was he knew that he couldn’t avoid her forever. He had responsibilities on the Watchtower that he needed to tend to, upgrades he was going to have to make soon and computer systems to check. 

If he didn’t return to the League soon, he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before the Princess of the Amazons would be paying him a visit too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews and kudos!! It's really appreciated. Hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

Chapter 2

**_New York City; September 18th; 22:26_ **

Wonder Woman spun on her heel, lifting her leg in an attempt to slam the heel of her boot into Cheetah’s jaw. The feline felon pulled back at the last second, narrowly missing having her teeth knocked down her throat. She hissed in fury as she swiped at the Amazon warrior with her deadly claws, but Diana was ready.

Cheetah was dangerous, but Diana could be deadly if necessary, skilled in ways that the feline had yet to encounter thanks to her previous training sessions with Batman.

Throwing her arms up in front of her, her bracers easily deflected the brunt of the attack before she shoved her away with a grunt. Cheetah swung with her left hand, claws extended as she lunged at the princess, determined to take her out once and for all. 

Diana flipped herself over her, spinning and throwing her leg out to slam a boot into Cheetah’s back. Cheetah was thrown several feet forwards, stumbling and forcing her to land on all fours just like her villainous ego. From her crouched position, she pounced on the Amazon, Diana swiftly throwing her off her and into a car.

As much as she enjoyed engaging in physical battles like this, Diana knew she needed to wrap this up soon. She was sure there were other missions that required her attention. Turning, her fist connected with the feline’s face as she charged at her again from behind, causing Cheetah to slam back into a metal light pole and temporarily knocking the wind from her lungs.

Before Cheetah could recover, Diana quickly pulled the light pole down, wrapping it around the villain a couple of times to keep her where she was at for the time being. Taking a step back, she paused as J’onn’s voice abruptly filled her ear with a robbery in progress at The Met. He knew she’d have special interest in this particular crime. 

“I’m on my way, J’onn,” Diana acknowledged with a frown. Another thief in need of capturing. Hopefully, this was the one that she was looking for.

“You can’t leave me here like this!” Cheetah screamed as Diana immediately lifted up into the air.

Diana paused to glance down at her, a smirk forming on her red lips. “You’ll be fine, Cheetah,” she reassured her. “The police will be here any minute to rescue you and take you to jail.”

Cheetah glared up at her, struggling against the metal light pole that had been wrapped tightly around her. “This isn’t over! I’ll get you for this!”

“Good luck trying,” Diana replied before taking off, waving at her and leaving a seething criminal bent on revenge behind.

She flew straight for the location J’onn had given her, anticipating another fight if she got there in time. She hoped it was the thief that they’d been trying to track down. It caused hot fury to scorch her veins that these rare artifacts were being stolen by this pathetic excuse for a man.

Being over a thousand years old, she truly understood the importance of these treasures and how precious they actually were. She was determined to put a stop to this crook before he could steal any more pieces that could be lost to the world forever. While not the most dangerous criminal the League has ever encountered or robberies deserving of their attention, it was still important to her, something that she was passionate about.

“Steel to Wonder Woman. Superman is unable to assist you. He’s currently being diverted to China.”

“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “I can handle it myself.”

“I’ll back her up, Steel.”

The unexpected sound of Batman’s rasping voice filling her ear took Diana completely by surprise. While relieved to hear his voice, she was angry with him for abandoning them for the last several weeks. She had been worried about him, not knowing what had been going on with her friend. Now, he was appearing out of nowhere as if nothing had even happened, acting like she couldn’t handle a mission alone.

She was eager to give him a piece of her mind once this thief was apprehended for causing them to worry about him. His lack of consideration as well as his need to assist her further stirred her ire. In the past, she would have just chalked it up to Batman being Batman, but not any longer. He was a valuable colleague and a close friend. He couldn’t just disappear on them like this for weeks on end without the slightest explanation.

The more she thought it about the more she wondered who she was more anxious to get her hands on—the elusive thief or the Dark Knight of Gotham.

“He better have a damn good explanation,” she grumbled under her breath as she headed straight for The Met. Thank Hera she was already in New York City, making her the closest Leaguer to respond to the distress call.

She had to admit that she was a little surprised the thief was taking on such a highly secured museum such as The Metropolitan. There had to be a reason that he had chosen it, a particular artifact that he was interested in stealing to add to his ever-growing collection.

She had reviewed most of the files on all the robberies that were known hits of his. She had a seen a particular pattern developing in his choices. Not only was there an escalation in the difficulty of the thefts, but he seemed to especially be interested in ancient Egyptian artifacts and jewels which only managed to intensify her growing animosity for this criminal even more.

Even though he wasn’t limited to these items, it definitely seemed to be a specific fascination for him. So far, he’d managed to make off with over a dozen artifacts so far and Hera only knew what he was doing with them now. They were probably being sold on the black market, passed between greedy hands that held no respect for the artifact they now possessed.

There was just something about all of this that bothered her. She wondered what the root cause was for his need to tackle the seemingly impossible, constantly escalating the danger as well as the technical difficulty of each theft. It was something that had piqued her curiosity from the start of her investigation into this case. There was definitely more to this than they knew.

Even though she was mad and worried about Batman, she had to admit she was most interested in his thoughts on this case. He would no doubt provide some valuable insight, noticing something that she was certain she had missed despite combing through every single detail of the robberies.

Bruce just seemed to have an innate ability to see things in a way that never ceased to impress her or strengthen her respect for him. Hopefully, he wouldn’t refuse her request to review the information that she had been able to gather so far.

He could be prickly at best, downright rude and obstinate to a fault at worst. She just hoped that his willingness to respond to a call was a positive sign that he was beginning to come around once more. However, she’d learned in the past not to hold her breath for such things when it came to the infuriating Bruce Wayne.

Approaching The Met, she grew eager to catch this thief before he could get his hands on anything else. She tried to think logically through these thefts, looking at them how Bruce would, but that only managed to make her even angrier with him. Clark had told her how his visit with Bruce had gone the other night which wasn’t very informative.

Clark may not have been able to get much out of him, but by Hera she definitely would.

Diana silently landed on the steps in front of The Metropolitan, surprised to find that she’d beaten the police here. Of course with her gods-given speed, she’d been able to arrive within a couple of minutes of J’onn’s summons.  
She entered through the door that had been left ajar, immediately taking to the air once more in The Great Hall to hopefully hide her presence for as long as possible. She swiftly scanned the Medieval Art exhibit before moving on to the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts section. The problem was that the museum was massive to say the least, filled with so many varying pieces of art, sculptures, and armor. It was difficult to differentiate between statues and shadows and suits of armor on display. It was frustrating her to no end, but she forced herself to be patient and remain in control of her emotions.

She was worried that she was going to miss the thief if she moved too quickly through the museum, but was equally concerned she wasn’t going to catch him if she didn’t move fast enough. She found herself wishing Bruce would hurry up and get here to help her in the search before they lost him. 

So far, everything appeared to be in place, the annoying blare of the alarm system the only indication there was any trouble occurring. The museum was blanketed in darkness save for some flashing lights that seemed to coincide with the obnoxious scream of the security system. She wanted to find it and put her fist through it in order to silence it once and for all.

Blue eyes filled with steel-like resolve scanned the Modern and Contemporary Art room before heading to the next, fearing that she had in fact missed him. Landing on the floor, she made a quick sweep of the Greek and Roman art room to find a rare amulet missing from a glass display case, a white business card lying in its place.

With a Themyscirian curse on her lips, she clenched her fists in fury, turning on her heel to catch a glimpse of a shadow making moving just outside of the room. She immediately took off after the shadow only to run directly into the Dark Knight himself.

Batman instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling, his entire body tensing with the realization as to who he was holding flush against his body. “Princess,” he rasped darkly.

“Batman,” Diana responded, finding herself face to cowl with the Gotham vigilante.

It took almost a full thirty seconds for his brain to react as he found himself staring into the azure eyes that he’d been avoiding for the last six weeks or so. “Princess, what are you doing?” he growled to cover his reaction to her being in his arms, releasing his hold on her. He looked away in mild embarrassment, assessing the crime scene.

“I thought you were the thief,” she replied with an annoyed frown.

“Obviously,” he stated. “What was taken?”

“A rare Greek amulet,” she revealed. “It’s priceless. We have to find it before it’s gone for good.”

“We’ll find it,” he reassured her. “You head that way and I’ll circle around to meet you.”

Diana curtly nodded her head in agreement, tucking a raven lock behind her eyes as she stared at him for a long moment.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she murmured with a shake of her head before taking off.

Batman watched her as she disappeared around the corner before circling back around the way he’d come. He kept to the shadows as he moved, hoping to catch sight of the thief making his escape with his newest acquisition. He had briefly wondered if it was Selina behind the robbery, but just as quickly dismissed the idea.

Selina had been overtly quiet in the last few months, keeping her nose clean. He liked to believe that his former lover was reformed and trying to get her life back on track, but he was having a hard time holding onto that hope. She’d burned him too many times over the years to fully put his trust in her ever again.

Hearing Greek curses from down the hall, Batman took off towards the sound of her swearing. He turned a corner to find Diana standing before an air duct with the screen removed. There were three security guards lying on the ground at her feet.

“Did you find him?” he asked as he came to stand beside her.

“No, just the way he got in and out,” she angrily snapped, her hands on her hips.

“Are they all right?” he questioned her, nodding to the security guards.

“They should be,” she replied. “Just unconscious without visible signs of injury.”

“He probably used chloroform or something similar to it,” he thoughtfully stated as he rubbed his chin.

“This just does not match his MO,” Diana muttered to herself as she tried to think through it all.

“His MO?” Batman repeated, turning to stare at her in stunned disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

“Modus operandi,” she clarified, cocking an eyebrow in surprise that he wouldn’t be familiar with the term.

“I know what modus operandi is,” he evenly stated with thinning patience as he folded his arms across his chest. “Whose MO are you talking about?”

Diana turned to face him with a frown on her face. “If you would attend the founders’ meetings or stayed to talk to Superman the other day when he came to see you, you would know that there is thief on the loose interested in high end relics and antiques. He’s been escalating his activities over the last three years in England and Europe, but has just recently set his sights on the United States.”

Batman mulled over the new information, a slight twinge of guilt pricking his conscious, but he swiftly dismissed it. He had his own thief in Gotham to worry about right now. “Well, you seem to have everything under control now,” he told her, turning on his heel to leave.

Diana’s hand instantly shot out to grab hold of his arm, anger blazing in her eyes like twin blue flames. “That’s all you’re going to say?” she snapped.

Batman looked down at her fingers wrapped securely around his upper arm, realizing that he could easily loose said limb if he didn’t allow her a little more explanation. “The police are here as well as the emergency response team,” he calmly informed her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to return to Gotham.”

He gently pulled out of her hold on him before resuming his escape plan. He had done his duty in responding to a teammate’s need for backup, making an appearance and, with any luck, allaying any further concern on the Amazon princess’s part. Hopefully, he’d just bought himself another few weeks away from the League and the Watchtower without any more visits from colleagues or a certain female heroine he was trying desperately to avoid.

He heard footsteps following behind him, causing his fingers to ball into fists. He didn’t want her following him now nor did he want to talk to her. He been around her far too long as it was tonight.

_“Don’t be a fool, Bruce…tell her what’s in your heart before it’s too late.”_

The words of his future self filled his mind all over again, words that he didn’t want to hear six weeks ago and definitely didn’t want to hear now. He wanted to scream, to beat something into oblivion to keep his mind from remembering every single word that he had heard his future self tell him, to forget the sights and sounds of that night, the smells that had accompanied that conversation. Unfortunately, it had been burned into his memory.

“That’s it?” Diana angrily cried as she stormed after him, police now swarming inside the museum. “You disappear for over six weeks, show up out of the blue, help for a whole thirty minutes, and then walk out? What about this new thief I told you about? Aren’t you going to help investigate?”

“A petty thief isn’t deserving of the League’s attention,” he evenly stated as he continued to make his way to the front entrance and his waiting Batwing outside. “Besides, I’ve got work in Gotham to do.”

An explosion of furious Greek curses filled the air as they exited the museum, but he refused to stop despite what she had just called him. He needed to leave. He had accomplished what he had set out to do— assuage her worries so he could avoid her for a few more weeks while he sorted things out.

“You arrogant… infuriating, pig-headed excuse for a man!” she hissed.

“Flattery will only get you so far, Princess,” he told her as he approached the Batwing, adjusting his gauntlets.

Diana drew a deep breath in an effort to dispel a measure of her fury with the man standing before her, knowing she needed to take a different approach with him if she was going to get through to him. “Look, I know how important Gotham is to you, but I can tell that something more is going on. What’s wrong, Bruce?”

Bruce instantly bristled with her observation. “What makes you think something is going on?”

Diana smiled to herself. She knew she was on to something. He just answered a question with a question. Classic deflection. “The World’s Greatest Detective never walks away from an investigation like this so tell me what’s wrong.”

“Why does there have to be something wrong?” he asked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as he stood beside his plane.

“I know you, Bruce,” she softly said. “Whether you like it or not, I know you and I care about you. You’re my friend and I want to help you.”

Her words had their desired effect as his shoulders slumped ever so slightly, piercing his Kevlar covered heart. It would have been imperceptible to anyone else, but not to her. She clearly noticed and it inflamed his anger. “There is just a lot going on right now, Diana. I have some important cases I need to solve in Gotham. I promise I’ll be back when I can.”

“If they are so important, why did you suddenly show up now to back me up after being missing in action for the last six weeks?” she perceptively questioned him.

Damn. He hadn’t seen that coming. He silently cursed to himself for not thoroughly thinking this through before responding to his JL commlink. He normally would have, but she distracted him, made him feel off-balance and out of control. He hated that.

“You needed back up so I answered the call—nothing more,” he cryptically answered her without making eye contact. He silently willed her to just accept his answer and let him leave now, but he knew that she never would. She was just as stubborn as he could be.

“Fine.”

Her clipped reply had him looking up sharply at her, stunned by her response. He found her staring at him with that look that told him he was in trouble and not getting out of it any time soon…if ever. Her arms were now folded against her chest, determination blazing brightly in her eyes that nearly made them glow. She had just dug in her heels and he was not going to be able to escape her interrogation.

“Fine?” he warily repeated as he stared at her.

“Fine,” she said with a nod of her head. “You want to play it this way, then that’s how we’ll play it, but I will get to the bottom of this one way or another, Bruce Wayne, and I will solve this string of robberies with or without you.”

With that, Diana spun on her heel and stormed away, leaving a reeling Batman in her wake. He watched her as she disappeared back inside of the museum, no doubt to see what clues she could find. He fought the urge to follow her inside and help her with the investigation, the detective in him actually interested in the case. The Bat in him kept his boots cemented firmly to the ground, knowing he had accomplished what he had set out to do and now it was time to leave.

He’d made sure Diana knew he was fine, but, in the process, he’d inadvertently raised her suspicions about what was really going on with him. He growled to himself as he climbed inside of his Batwing. He gritted his teeth as he began flipping the switches to take off and head back to Gotham.

In his efforts to buy himself more time to figure what he was going to do about the future, he’d just created an even greater mess concerning a very angry, very hostile Amazon princess.

**_Watchtower; September 19th, 00:11 EST_ **

A warrior’s furious cry filled the room followed by a punishing series of strikes that completely decimated the training droid. She stood over the scattered metal debris of what was left of the droid, her chest heaving with the anger that still coursed through her in crushing waves.

Diana forced her fingers to uncurl, stretching them out and relaxing her stance minutely. She didn’t know how that man always managed to get under her skin, but he seemed to have an innate ability to arouse her anger and frustration like no other man she’d ever met.

She marched over to the computer in the corner, bringing up a new program and turning the safeties off. She knew if she destroyed anymore droids, Bruce would show up on the Watchtower just to lecture her on how expensive they were. Right now, he was the last person she wanted to see.

Who was she kidding? She was going to be on the receiving end of a scathing lecture from Bruce for the four droids that she had decimated but, at this point, she felt he wholly deserved it. He could definitely afford it. Besides, he was the reason that she’d been so angry in the first place.

He better watch himself or he just might find himself on the wrong end of her fist.

Pulling up one of her favorite programs, Diana smiled to herself as she turned to find Batman standing there ready to do battle with her. Even though it wasn’t the real Dark Knight of Gotham, it was as close as she was going to get to unleashing her frustration on him without actually putting him in a full body cast.

Diana clenched her fists, a smirk playing on her lips as Batman pulled out a batarang. This was a no-holds barred match, full powers and weapons. If she broke him, no harm done and no weeks spent in the infirmary. She could just pull up the program again. However, if he got a good shot in, she could be severely injured. It was good thing she wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Princess?” he rasped in that familiar gravelly baritone voice of his. He had a cocky expression on his face she was anxious to permanently erase.

“I forgot you were designed to be this arrogant,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m more than ready, little man.”

“Little man?” he said as they began to circle one another. “I assure you, Princess. There is absolutely nothing little about me.”

Diana rolled her eyes as she moved into position to strike. He was far too much like the real version. She decided it was high time to teach him some much needed humility. She feinted to her left before lunging to the right in hopes of taking him off guard, but he anticipated the move and was ready for her.

She cursed under her breath as she narrowly escaped a painful blow, spinning on her heel. Her elbow slammed into his back, causing him to stumble, but he quickly recovered. She flipped her hair out of her face as she went on the offense, dodging his brass knuckles coming directly at her face.

**_Batcave; September 19th, 09:34 EST_ **

Bruce held his handstand several minutes longer than what he felt his body could tolerate, his arms beginning to tremble before he finally placed his feet on the mat. He expertly shifted into his next move, his left arm slowly sweeping around as he began the next series of mind cleansing exercises.

Patrol had been slow, Gotham eerily quiet for once. It had been unsettling to say the least. Even the thief that he’d been trying to track hadn’t struck again like he had thought. There had been no sign of the burglar for the last five days leaving him to wonder what was going on and what was being planned next.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he concentrated on controlling his breaths, his brow knitted in thought. He tried to close off all of his thoughts and outside distractions as he took command of every single muscle in his body, but he found himself still grappling with his inner demons…demons that he’d never be free from.

He was just as keyed up and frustrated as he had been before he’d gone to help Diana with the theft last night, maybe even more so now. Despite his best efforts to calm his soul and clear his mind for the last six weeks, he was still caught in the fierce war being waged between heart and mind. It was one that he had been battle before chasing Chronos into the future, but his elder self had managed to intensify with his haunting revelation.

He couldn’t deny that the little information that Diana had told him about this new thief had piqued his curiosity, causing his analytical mind to shift into high gear once more. While he didn’t want to get involved, he decided to periodically check up on Diana’s progress with the case…that was if time allowed. He currently had his own thief in Gotham that needed to be stopped.

Diana was highly intelligent and would no doubt be able to solve the case on her own. She could benefit from some focused training with him on certain skills in the field of deductive case solving, but he definitely didn’t have the time for that nor could he afford to be near her for any extended period of time. Unfortunately, avoiding her hadn’t helped in the least these last several weeks. He needed to look at this logically from every angle if he was going to find a way to work through this. 

Images of his bitter, elderly self that he’d met in the future surfaced in his mind’s eye for the millionth time since returning home. It filled him with an unexpected sense of loneliness and dread. It only served to remind him of what his future held for him if he continued down this path that had been set in motion almost thirty years ago, what the future held for her if he continued down this path.

He’d purposefully off cut all communication with his teammates, sequestering himself away from all League news and events in order to keep from thinking about her. It was more than difficult, however, when pictures of Wonder Woman adorned the front page of his newspaper almost every other day.

He was becoming more frustrated with every passing week, finding no answers in the peace that he struggled to find. He knew he was going to have to make some sort of an effort to break down the numerous barriers that he had erected around himself over the years if he didn’t want to end up like his elder self.

The problem, though, was that it had become second nature to him. He didn’t know any other way of dealing with his feelings or interacting with those he cared most about. He’s spent an eternity fortifying his heart in order to keep from getting hurt, locking away that scared little boy deep inside so that he would never have to face pain like that ever again.

Now, he was going to have to find a way to break free from those chains that had kept him bound for so long or risk losing his family as well as her forever.

“Your face is supposed to be filled with tranquility when you do those exercises, not anger and frustration.”

Bruce’s frown deepened, but his eyes remained closed. “What are you doing here?” he curtly asked as he moved on to the next exercise.

“Can’t I stop by to see my family?” Dick questioned him as he moved to lean against the wall of the training room, folding his arms against his chest as he watched him.

It had been over three months since Dick had last darkened the doors of Wayne Manor. A small piece of him had almost dared to hope that maybe he would receive a slightly warmer reception from his surrogate father when he’d made his presence known. He knew deep down that he should never have hoped for such a miraculous event like that to happen.

“Yes, but what do you want?” Bruce pressed as he finally opened his eyes to look at his eldest, sensing more was being left unsaid.

Dick looked away, a scowl forming on his face. “I knew I shouldn’t have bothered coming here,” he muttered, turning to leave.

“Wait,” Bruce unexpectedly called out. He knew that if he didn’t want to end up like his cantankerous older self he was going to have to push himself outside the bounds of his comfort zone and make some sort of an effort with his family. “Do you want some breakfast?”

Stunned, Dick turned back to regard his mentor-father for a long moment before responding. “What?”

Bruce felt awkward as he reached for his towel, wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck. “Do you want some breakfast?”

He thought about it for a moment before nodding his agreement. “I could stand some of Alfred’s cooking for a change.”

Tossing his towel aside, Bruce closed the distance between them. “Are you here for a reason or just for food?” Bruce asked, his voice lacking the accusatory tone that it had just held when he first responded to the unexpected visitor. It was filled with more curiosity than anything else.

Dick glanced somewhat sheepishly at Bruce as they made their way through the cave towards the stairs. “Well, I am here for a reason,” he admitted as they entered the manor.

“What is it?” he asked, a faint smirk on his lips. “Girl trouble?”

“No,” Dick snorted the response. “Donna and I are great.”

“You didn’t get her pregnant did you?”

“Who is pregnant?” Alfred inquired as they entered the kitchen.

“No one is pregnant,” Dick adamantly stated.

“Good…keep it that way,” Bruce muttered as he sat down at the table and picked up the newspaper to find a full colored picture of Wonder Woman on the front page speaking with the police outside of The Met.

While Diana appeared pleasant, he could easily see that she was clearly upset in the picture. Whether it was because of him or the robbery had yet to be determined, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he’d lost more training droids because of her infamous temper.

He’d have to check the Watchtower training logs to see just how much she had cost him this time. Another lecture probably wouldn’t hurt in order to drive home the point that he was not made of money. If she wanted to vent her anger, she should try taking it out on Clark for once…or Booster Gold.

He did feel a small wave of guilt, suddenly remembering that he’d cancelled their training session that had been scheduled the week after the Chronos mission. He’d never returned any of her messages to reschedule, completely ignoring her altogether.

“Bruce?” Dick called to him again.

Bruce looked up from the newspaper in his hands, startled out of his thoughts when he realized that Dick had been talking to him for a few moments now. “What?”

“Something in that newspaper must be more fascinating than me,” he joked.

Alfred grinned wickedly as he set a plate in front of Bruce who just glared at him in response. “No,” he snapped. “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Woman or insomnia?” Dick asked with a grin as he dug into his breakfast.

Bruce frowned at him as he carefully laid the newspaper aside, turning it over to hide Diana’s picture. That was most definitely a topic that he didn’t want to discuss right now if ever and especially not with Dick. He still didn’t know what he was going to do about the future that he’d learned about.

“I had too much on my mind to sleep,” he replied. “Now, what brings you here?”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred scolded him with a frown as he handed Dick a cup of coffee.

“Well, we haven’t seen him in over three months and then he shows up out of the blue,” Bruce replied. “There must be something that brought you here.”

“Actually, I’m here because of you,” Dick revealed before taking a bit of bacon.

“Me?” Bruce exclaimed, eyebrows raised in surprise. His hand had paused with his coffee cup half way to his mouth. “Why me?”

“Tim said that you’ve been broodier than usual,” he said. “He told me that you hardly ever talk and spend every waking minute down in the cave. You never go to the Watchtower anymore or join League missions.”

“And how is this different from any other day?” Bruce snapped.

“He’s worried about you, Bruce,” Dick continued, his voice revealing his own concern. “He said that ever since you returned from your last mission with the League, you’ve been acting different…more closed off than you usually are.”

“I’m fine,” Bruce confirmed, trying to end the discussion.

“In Master Bruce’s defense, I must say that it doesn’t sound much different than other day in the Wayne household,” Alfred interjected. “However, I have to agree with Master Timothy on this. You have most definitely not been yourself for the last six weeks. Something has gone to pot or you wouldn’t be acting like this.”

“I’m just tired,” he said in an attempt to allay their fears. “It’s been busy in Gotham and I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Don’t talk tosh, Master Bruce,” Alfred scolded him. “It’s always busy in Gotham.”

“Maybe you need a break,” Dick suggested. “You have been running constant between Gotham and League missions. Maybe you need to get away for a few days…like a vacation or something.”

Bruce adamantly shook his head before taking a drink of his coffee. “I can’t be gone right now,” he maintained. “There’s too much going on in Gotham and I need to return to my League duties soon.”

“You did receive that invitation to Cambridge, England for that estate auction in a month,” Alfred reminded him. “I believe it would very good for you to go away for a four day weekend.”

“Good…it’s settled then,” Dick responded with a smile. “Let me know the dates and I’ll help Barbara and Tim cover Gotham.”

“Thank you, but I’m not going,” Bruce insisted. “I promise I’ll take a break once things settle down a bit.”

Dick and Alfred shared a frown, both knowing that break would never come unless Bruce was on his deathbed. There was definitely more going on than just needing a break. Dick just wasn’t sure that was that, but he was determined to find out one way or another.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the reviews and kudos!  
> I'm working away on an update for Suspicious Minds based on the ep Maid of Honor. Hope to have it posted in the next couple of weeks so be looking for it! :)

Chapter 3

_**Watchtower; September 19th, 18:56 EST** _

“Supergirl, Red Tornado, Hawk and Dove,” Diana called. “Report to Transport Three now for tsunami in Sri Lanka.”

Diana sank back in her seat as she took a sip of her drink. Setting it aside, she released a sigh as she tracked the devastating destruction that the tsunami was creating in Sri Lanka. She sent up a silent prayer to her gods for safety and protection of the people of the island, hoping the team was able to get there in time before any loss of life.

After carefully studying each of the other screens, she turned her attention to a fifth screen, checking on the progress of another team that she’d sent out earlier that afternoon. They seemed to be wrapping things up and should be returning to the Watchtower soon for debriefing and reports, no injuries reported.

Diana paused to stretch out the muscles in her neck with a subtle groan. She was more than a little stiff after her four hour long training session with the droids and the similation of Batman. It had been intense to the say the least and the reason why she was doing monitor duty now…much to her chagrin.

It’s what she deserved for turning the safeties off, but it had been well worth it in the end. She glanced down to check the clock in the bottom corner of the computer screen. One more hour to go. She was more anxious than usual for her shift to be over so she could do more investigating into this mysterious thief. Every day that went by, the chances of more valuable artifacts being lost grew.

She turned her attention to the blank card in her left hand; her blue eyes narrowing as she carefully studied it. She had to decipher the meaning behind the unusual clue that their criminal always left behind that connected him to the crime. There had to be some reason for it, some unknown significance to all of it. This unknown individual was practically taunting them with it as if saying “catch me if you think you can”.

A frown formed on her lips as Diana turned the card over to look at the other side of it, lightly running her fingertips over it. This side was just as blank as the other, but there was an unusual texture to the card, hinting at something more that she was missing. She’d already tested it for fingerprints and any unusual substances on the card, but came up with nothing.

She cursed under breath as she set the card aside with a huff of annoyance. As much as she hated to admit it, this was more Bruce’s area of expertise than hers. The thought of talking to him anytime soon instantly prickled her anger. She ground her teeth as she thought about that obstinate mule. While she could use his insight, she wasn’t about to ask him for help yet. She’d figure this out on her own.

She forced herself to focus on the files that she’d accumulated so far on all the robberies instead of the man who drove her absolutely crazy. “Fántasma,” she muttered to herself, deciding that this thief was more like a ghost than an actual man.

She wondered what it was that drew this ghost thief to the things that he chose to steal. It ranged from jewels to Greek artifacts, artwork to Egyptian relics. Why had this man bypassed all of the other items in The Met to steal a Greek amulet?

While it was priceless, there were so many others things housed in The Met that she believed would have captured his attention. Instead, he had evaded everything else in the entire museum, zeroing in on the ancient piece of jewelry. It didn’t make any sense to her. It had to have held some sort of special meaning to him, something about that particular piece that captivated him.

Diana was pulled from her case by the soft beeping that alerted her that there was an incoming communication to the Watchtower. She scowled when she realized who exactly the call was coming from. She punched the accept button despite her determination not to talk to him, irritation already beginning to bubble to the surface.

“Batman,” she icily greeted him, a haughty glare lighting her eyes.

“Wonder Woman,” he formally responded in his usual rasping timbre. He was somewhat amused by her cool demeanor, but refused to allow it to show. He kept his expression detached despite the fact that the majority of his face was covered by his cowl. “How is your investigation into your thief progressing?”

Diana seemed to carefully weigh her response before finally answering him, hooking a raven lock behind her ear as her forehead creased with annoyance. While she could use his expertise and insight, she wasn’t about to ask him for any help.

“Fine, thank you,” she replied, glancing at the white card laying on the desk to her left and knowing that she was lying. She was no further ahead than before the theft at The Met last night. “What do you want?”

Bruce was unfazed by her brusque manner, knowing that she was still mad at him. He also knew that she was lying through her teeth about the investigation into her thief. She had always been a horrible liar and now was no different. 

“Just wanted to remind you to go easy on the training droids,” he evenly stated. “Those droids don’t come cheap, Princess. You demolished four of them beyond repair last night. They’re nothing but scrap parts now.”

Diana’s blue eyes darkened and narrowed like a violent thunderstorm that was about to erupt at any given moment. “How dare you…you little…insignificant…” she angrily sputtered.

“Maybe if I made you start paying for them, you’d learn the value of money a little better,” he interjected, not allowing her to use whatever Greek insult she was coming up for him this time. 

He knew he was only throwing gasoline on an already blazing inferno, but he just couldn’t help it. Getting her riled up was far too enjoyable to pass up. Besides, she needed to understand that she had to find a better way to deal with her temper than demolishing League property.

“Why don’t you come up here and discuss it with me face to face, Batman?” she ground out through clenched teeth, the smile on her lips incongruous with the look of violence blazing brightly in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I know you miss my presence, but I’ll be back with the League soon enough,” he reassured her. 

“I’ve barely noticed that you haven’t been around,” she shot back with a casual shrug.

The corner of his lips twitched slightly, knowing she was lying again. His gaze fell on her shoulder which had a large white bandage covering it. “What happened to you?”

To be honest, Bruce already knew what had happened to her. He’d pulled up the video feed in the training room for last night and had seen her thoroughly destroy the training droids before taking on a computer assimilated version of himself. It had been a rather violent battle that had ended with both of them bloody and beaten.

Diana turned her head to the side, her jaw clenching tightly with embarrassment. She’d forgotten about the bandage on her shoulder from the injury that she’d received last night, but, of course, Bruce noticed it. He knew everything. “It’s nothing,” she bit out. “Someone just got a lucky shot in.”

Batman stared at her for a long moment, appreciating the strong yet feminine lines of her profile. Still, he wished she’d look at him again. He felt guilty about provoking her like he had. He really did hate to see her hurt even if it was her own fault. He needed to gentle his tone, not provoke her so much.

“Maybe if you didn’t fight with the safeties turned off you wouldn’t get injured.”

Diana’s head whipped back to look at him, her eyes widening in stunned disbelief with his words before narrowing. “Were you—?”

“Next time, don’t lower your guard on the left and you won’t be pulling a batarang out of your shoulder,” he told her with a smirk that only made her blood boil that much hotter.

Diana was near trembling with anger as he abruptly cut the communication feed before she could form a response, the screen going black. A furious yell preceded her fist connecting with the computer screen where Batman’s face had been displayed just a few seconds ago.

Several crewmen turned around in time to see a shower of sparks and flying glass, a livid Wonder Woman standing on her feet and breathing heavily. They immediately turned their attention back to their work, hoping to avoid any interaction with the irate Amazon. It was far safer that way.

Diana sat back in her chair with a grumbling huff, closing her eyes as she tried to rein in her anger with her teammate. He always managed to inflame her fury far more than anyone she’d ever met before. No one could inflame so many varying emotions within her as quickly or as effectively as he always managed to do. One moment they would be bantering playfully with each other and the next she was trying to keep from punching him in the face.

Reaching to her side for her iced mocha, Diana caught a glimpse of a certain red and blue clad superhero heading her way. Even though he was her best friend, she really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone at that moment despite the fact that it would distract her from her unsettled thoughts for a little while.

“Kal,” she said with a frown, keeping her focus on the computer screens as he took a seat beside her. “I didn’t expect to see you here this evening I thought you had a date with Lois tonight.”

“Lois got called to cover a last minute press conference by the mayor of Metropolis. Besides, I had some work to catch up on up here,” he revealed as he sat back in his chair with a frown. “Thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing with the investigation into our mystery thief.”

“It’s going fine,” she snapped. She hadn’t been in the mood to discuss it with Batman and Kal wasn’t any different now.

“That’s good…I guess,” he decided with a nod, finally noticing the busted computer screen. “Um, do I want to know what happened here?” 

“No,” she stated without making any eye contact with him. 

She was as furious with Bruce as she was at herself for letting him get to her like he had. No one got under her skin quicker or deeper than Bruce Wayne and she hated it. She had lost her temper once more because of him and it left her feeling ashamed and embarrassed. He was always lecturing her about her temper and needing to learn to control it and she’d just proved him right once again.

“Let me guess,” Clark ventured. “Batman?”

“How did you figure it out?” she grumbled, taking a sip of her drink.

“Because he’s the only one who can get you that angry that quickly,” he told her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more well-matched than you and Batman.”

Diana looked over at the Kryptonian in complete shock. “Are you crazy?” she exclaimed as she leapt to her feet. “Hera, Kal! He’s infuriating as Tartarus. He makes me want to beat that damn smirk off his face. How does that equal anything close to attraction?”

Clark leaned further back in his chair, almost fearful for his life as he stared up at the infuriated Amazon before him. He didn’t know why he listened to John and Flash and their stupid theories about what was going on…or, better yet, not going on between Bruce and Diana. It was obvious there were sparks there every time they were together, but it had taken GL and Flash pointing it out for him to actually register it was there. Him and his big mouth.

“Diana, I’m sorry, but I—”

“I’m going to the training room,” she growled as she stormed off, leaving him sitting there all alone.

Clark quickly moved to the chair that Diana had just vacated with a beleaguered sigh of resignation. With a frown, he placed a call, his annoyance growing with every second that went by as he waited for his friend to answer. Batman finally appeared on one of the numerous screens, his expression impassive as always despite finding himself staring at the Man of Steel instead of Diana.

“Way to go,” Clark snapped at him.

“Why? What’d she break this time?” Batman knowingly asked.

“A computer screen,” he revealed. “I have an irate Amazon on my hands and now I’m covering monitor duty while she goes off to destroy more training droids.”

Bruce groaned, his chin calling to his chest as his eyes fell closed. He felt a migraine coming on again. “I’m not coming up there to apologize so don’t even ask me,” he rasped with a scowl, his tone leaving no room for argument on the matter. “I’ve got work to do. You handle her.”

“You’ve always got work to do,” Clark shot back, his typical jovial expression gone. Irritation had taken its place as he tried to help both of his friends. He decided it was time to give them a little push, starting with the one right before him. “You really should try buying her flowers or taking her out on a date instead of making her angry at you all the time. It’d be a lot less expensive than paying for new training droids every week.”

The whites of Batman’s cowl narrowed to dangerous slits as he glared darkly at the Man of Steel. “What are you talking about?” he hissed, feigning ignorance.

“Oh, come on,” Clark replied with a huff, rolling his eyes in mounting exasperation. Wasn’t Batman always considered to be the World’s Greatest Detective? “It’s obvious there is something between the two of you even if neither of you will ever admit it.”

“There is nothing going on between me and Diana,” Batman bit out with a sneer on his lips. “There’s a rockslide in Guatemala. Send Diana. It should keep her occupied for a few hours and save me some droids.”

With that, Batman cut the communication line before Clark could even muster a response, leaving him sitting there staring at a blank screen. As if on cue, an alert came from the Guatemalan government requesting help with a rockslide that had devastated the country.

“How did he know?” Clark muttered under his breath as he shook his head in disbelief. “Wonder Woman, Vigilante, Green Lantern, and Vixen to transport two ASAP for rockslide in Guatemala.”

Clark could have sworn he heard Greek curses coming from the other side of the Watchtower, but he chose to ignore it. If he was going to be stuck finishing her monitor duty shift, then she could take care of the situation in Guatemala. Moving tons of rock for hours on end would definitely help ease her anger some and hopefully keep Bruce alive a little longer.

Trying to play matchmaker with these two was going to be a nightmare not to mention dangerous. Good thing he was the strongest man in the world.

_**Batcave; September 19th, 19:33 EST** _

Bruce sat back in his chair with a huff of agitation, yanking his cowl off his head and tossing it aside on his desk. He wasn’t certain what had just happened, but that was not at all what he had been expecting. When he had contacted Diana, he’d only wanted to remind her how expensive the droids were, not make her furious at him. He hadn’t been able to help himself though. She was just so enchanting when she was furious with him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes like twin bolts of blue lightning.

Then Clark had contacted him and had completely blown the entire situation so out of proportion it was ludicrous. There was nothing going on between him and Diana. It was just simple, physical attraction—nothing more. He couldn’t allow it to become more right now. It might be different if he was actually in love with her, but he wasn’t.

Leave it to the Boy Scout to try to make something romantic out of something that just wasn’t there.

He raked his fingers back through his hair, thinking that maybe Clark should just worry about Lois instead of trying to play matchmaker with his friends. He could focus on his work now that he knew that Diana had been sent to Guatemala, saving the last of the training droids to be destroyed on another day.

“What’s up?” Tim asked as he approached, eating a bag of potato chips.

“Nothing,” Bruce stated as he began typing once more. 

“What did Clark want?”

“Just sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong,” he grumbled as he glared at his computer screen as if it had just wronged him in some unseen way.

“I heard Dick came by this morning,” he ventured, watching his father-figure for some sort of a reaction.

“He did,” Bruce acknowledged without looking up. “He stayed for breakfast.”

“Did he have anything to say?” Tim pressed.

“He said you called him because you were worried about me,” Bruce revealed, his scowl softening some as he turned to face the young teenager.

Tim visibly blanched, his lips curving into a frown as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you that part,” he muttered.

“I appreciate your concern, Tim, but I’m fine,” Bruce reassured him, his tone more fatherly than Bat at that moment. “I just have a few things that I’m trying to work out right now.”

Tim’s frown deepened as if in disbelief. “If you’re sure,” he replied.

“I’m sure,” Bruce told him. “Did you get your homework done?”

“Most of it,” he sheepishly informed him, unable to meet Bruce’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Most of it?” he repeated. “What do you have left to do?”

“Just a book report that’s not due till Monday,” Tim said.

It was Bruce’s turn to frown, but he decided to give the boy a break seeing how it was Friday night. “You can go out on patrol tonight as long you spend tomorrow working on your book report.”

“Deal!” Tim readily agreed, his face instantly brightening. “I’m going to go work on the new set of training exercises you gave me last week.”

“Don’t spend too much time on it,” Bruce yelled as Tim made a quick exit. “I don’t want you worn out before we even head out on patrol tonight. Just do the warm-up exercises, not the full program.”

“Yes, sir!” Tim hollered back as he made his way to the training room.

Bruce smiled to himself as the sound of Tim’s retreating footsteps grew fainter. The boy had a tender heart, a genuine compassion for others. It was something that he sometimes forgot about, spending too much time focusing on his rigid training as a crime-fighter and a detective. 

He knew he needed to spend more time with him as a father should, but it was something that didn’t come naturally for him. His eyes fell closed as the image of his elder self flashed through his mind once again. Where had Tim been in that future that he’d seen? Where had he gone?

Had Tim walked away from him, fed up with being pushed away and kept at arm’s length by the only father figure he’d had in his life? Maybe he was dead…killed by the Joker or one of the other countless rogues that plagued Gotham?

Neither of those outcomes brought him any sense of peace, especially since he had not seen any trace of Dick or Barbara either. He needed to change, to open himself up even just a little bit if he was going to avoid ending up like his future self. He was going to have to find a way to lower his walls and push himself past his self-imposed boundaries if he truly wanted to change and make a better future for himself and his family.

With a sigh, Bruce glanced at his computer screen one more time before ultimately leaning forward, choosing to shut it off for the time being. Standing to his feet, Bruce decided it wouldn’t hurt to do a little warm-up exercising of his own with Tim before heading out on patrol for the night.

**_Guatemala; September 20th, 03:49 EST_ **

Diana blew a raven curl out of her line of sight as she laid a massive boulder on the ground. She proceeded to pound it into dust before moving on to the next one. Picturing a certain Gotham vigilante’s face, she attacked it with a fierce vengeance, her lips curling slightly with pleasure. 

She didn’t know why that infuriating man always seemed to have such a profound effect on her. All she knew was that she found herself worrying about him one minute to only wanting to pound him into the nearest wall the next. These shifting emotions concerning the Dark Knight were driving her absolutely crazy.

She was actually glad that Kal had sent her on this mission. It had turned out to be the perfect distraction and a great outlet for her anger. While it would have been very satisfying destroying more of Bruce’s training droids, this had actually been ideal. She could vent her anger and frustration and still help the Guatemalan people.

That was the main reason why she had come to Man’s World. She had wanted to help people and spread the message of love and peace. She couldn’t deny the ulterior motive of wanting to explore the world and learn new and exciting things, but her mother didn’t need to know about that.

“I think that’s the worst of it on this side,” Green Lantern commented as he deposited a couple of tons of rock in front of Diana.

Diana readily demolished the offending rocks with a punch that quickly reduced it to smaller pieces with a single blow. “Are you sure there isn’t more?”

John smirked at her as he landed on the ground before her. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” she replied with a subtle frown.

“Ok, give it up,” John said, crossing his arms against his chest. “What did Bats do to tick you off this time?”

“How does everyone know Batman is the reason behind my anger all the time?” she exclaimed, her hands finding her hips as her brow furrowed in obvious exasperation, practically daring him to tangle with her.

GL’s smirk deepened as he shook his head in amazement. She really didn’t seem to see what the rest of them saw when it came to the Princess of the Amazons and the Dark Knight of Gotham. “You two—” he began only to stop abruptly, holding up his hand. “You know what? Never mind. You’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Figure what out eventually?” she asked, quirking a raven eyebrow in confusion.

“Nothing,” John said. “You two need to figure this one out for yourselves.”

Diana glared at him, not quite certain where he was going with all of this, but not in the mood to pursue this discussion either. If this had anything to do with a relationship with Bruce, she wasn’t willing to go down that road again. She’d ventured down that path once and had been readily shot down by the Caped Crusader and his foolish reasons. He obviously didn’t care about her so she’d moved on, viewing him as nothing more than a teammate now.

“That man is the most infuriating human being on the plant,” she ground out. “Why on earth would I want anything more to do with him past being teammates?”

“If it’s any consolation, I’ve never seen anyone get under his cowl like you always manage to,” he revealed. “You’re the only one I’ve ever known that can put him into a complete tailspin.”

Diana shot him a look of pure skepticism as she reached for another rock. “I highly doubt that, John,” she muttered. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Batman.”

“What about him?” he asked, curious as to what she wanted to know. Actually, he had a feeling he knew, but was hoping against hope it was something else.

“What happened on that mission with Chronos?”

John snorted as he used his ring to move what was left of the smaller stones out of the way. “What didn’t happen during that mission? It was a cluster from beginning to end.”

She watched as an exasperated expression turned wistful, almost sentimental. Something had happened during that mission and she wanted to know what it was, especially since she’d been a part of it. “What is it, John?”

Lantern cleared his throat as he schooled his features, his brow furrowed in thought. “I met someone when we went to the future…someone I didn’t expect to meet,” he softly confessed.

Diana straightened up, concern filling her eyes. “Who did you meet?”

He looked up to meet her curious gaze, his expression growing proud. “My son…with Shayera.”

She was stunned by the revelation, but she tried to keep it from reaching her face. “Shayera?”

“Yah,” he confirmed, slowly nodding his head. “He was Warhawk.”

“I remember reading that name on the reports you and Bruce had filed, but I never made the connection.”

“We purposefully kept his parentage a secret,” he revealed, his tone solemn, his eyes hardening like steel. “I will not allow what we saw in the future to dictate my life. I’m with Vixen now and I refuse to allow meeting him to change that.”

She silently nodded her head in understanding, her mind working to process it all. John and Shayera have a son in the future, one who fought with the Justice League. She couldn’t help wondering what else they had seen that could’ve affected them so deeply. What had Bruce found in the future that had him hiding out in his cave for the last six weeks?

She found herself almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. If there was something wrong, something that ended up hurting Bruce in the future then she wanted to know so she could help him. Even if he did infuriate her to no end sometimes, he was still her friend and she cared about him. 

“John, what did Bruce see in the future that he didn’t put in his report?” she questioned him, her voice sounding small even to her and she hated it.

John released a long, slow breath as he rubbed the back of his neck. He’s had a feeling this talk was eventually going to come up. He knew that Batman’s prolonged absence from the League was going to raise questions in everyone’s minds, but he didn’t want to be the one to answer those questions. Now, staring back at a frustrated and confused Amazon, he knew he no longer had a choice.

“We’re pretty much done here, Diana,” he told her. “I already sent Vixen and Vigilante back to the ‘Tower. Let’s go get something to eat in the commissary and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Sounds like a plan to me as long as you let me get a quick shower first,” she said as she glanced down at her uniform, rubbing her hands together to get some of the dirt off them.

“Deal,” he agreed.

He watched as she called for transport, disappearing from view. “He’s so going to kill me if he finds out I told her,” he muttered to himself as he hit his comm to request transport as well.

**_Gotham; September 20th, 04:20 EST_ **

He stood gazing out the window of his penthouse suite in Gotham, staring out over the city. Everyone had told him that Gotham was nothing more than a black cesspool of depravity and violence. While it did seem to have a black cloud that constantly hung over it, Gotham had a unique feel to it, one that he found rather appealing in an unexpected way. It was almost like it was a rare jewel hidden among rock and rubble just waiting to be rescued.

His lips curled slightly as he studied the brightly lit skyline, his thoughts wandering over his plans for his time here. He had almost bypassed this city after talking to several people in New York City about his plans to visit this notorious city. Many had told him not to waste his time, telling him that it was a vile city filled with nothing but wickedness and terrifying vigilante by the name of Batman.

He glanced down at the Gotham Gazette lying on top of an end table, the headlines on the front page causing his excitement to swell, but he forced himself to suppress it. He couldn’t allow his emotions to take control of him. There was much planning that needed to be done, measures that needed to be taken before he could carry out everything that he had come here to accomplish.

Taking another drink of his wine, he turned away from the window to close the curtains. Picking up the newspaper, he moved to an overstuffed chair, sitting down to read the headline once more.

_New Egyptian Exhibit Opens at Gotham Museum_  
Bruce Wayne contributes one million dollars, ensuring the museum’s bid on the newly discovered Egyptian treasure.  
Exhibit opening gala scheduled for September 25th 

He smiled to himself as he continued to read the article. He was anxious to make an appearance at the gala and to meet the infamous Prince of Gotham. He’d heard many wild tales of the notorious playboy’s adventures as well as his keen business mind when he actually put some effort into his company.

He had a feeling there was far more to this man than what he’d read in the tabloids. Staring at the picture of the billionaire, he felt like he was a kindred spirits of sorts in a strange way. There were many similarities shared between the two of them, their pasts eerily identical in some ways.

He internally shuddered as recurring memories of his past assaulted him like a sledgehammer, coming up out of nowhere like it sometimes did and taking him completely unawares. His breath quickened as his chest tightened, his heart racing as he struggled to overcome the haunting images that would never leave him. He wore his past like a second skin that he couldn’t begin to shed. He’d tried everything over the years, but nothing ever truly helped him to forget.

Drawing a couple of deep, calming breaths, he willed himself to regain some measure of control. He knew he had much work to do before turning his focus to the new Egyptian exhibit next week. Turning to his briefcase, he pulled out a detailed map of Gotham, unfolding it and spreading it on top of the table before him. Finding a yellow highlighter, he carefully began marking various places of particular interest to him that would require research and planning.

Taking out a notebook, he began to carefully plan out his day, jotting down places that he needed to visit as well as hits that had to be scoped out before he could get his hands what he wanted. He was determined to not leave Gotham until he had everything that he had come for.

He wouldn’t let Ava down.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**_Watchtower; September 20th, 05:38 EST_ **

Diana entered the commissary to find it pretty much deserted for the most part save for a couple of junior Leaguers sitting in a corner chatting quietly. She made a beeline for the iced mocha machine, in desperate need of some caffeine that her favorite drink always provided her.

After giving her order to the chef, she turned to wait for her food, spotting Green Lantern sitting in a far corner of the comm already waiting for her with his tray of food. His expression looked grim, almost resigned in a way. It did little to settle her own anxious anticipation about their upcoming conversation, but it was one that she knew she needed to have with him. She was concerned that if it was this unsettling for both of her friends, then why it hadn’t been entered into either of their mission reports.

She could understand John’s hesitancy to identify Warhawk as his son with Shayera. They had finally gotten to a place in their working relationship where they were a little more at ease being around each other. There was no need to tear open old wounds. Besides, if Warhawk had a secret identity, it could compromise him if that information ever got leaked in the future.

“Here you are, Wonder Woman.”

Diana turned to take her plate, a smile touching her lips. “Thank you, Ernesto,” she replied, “and you know you can call me Diana.”

Ernesto blushed as he bashfully averted his eyes, nervously wringing the towel in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he shyly said. “I keep forgetting.”

Diana chuckled softly. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “Thank for the omelet. You make the best.”

“It’s my pleasure, Diana,” he told her with a pleased grin. “Will you back for lunch?”

“It depends on how my day goes,” she thoughtfully responded. “I just returned from being gone all night so I’ll probably sleep for a few hours unless I get called out for another mission.”

“Well, sleep well,” Ernesto told her.

“Thanks,” she replied with a smile, taking her tray and heading to where John was waiting for her.

Sitting down at the table across from him, she noticed the mirthful expression that unexpectedly graced his face. “What?” she asked.

“Someone has a secret admirer,” he teased her as he dug into his breakfast.

“I do?”

“Yah…Ernesto,” he told her with a nod towards the chef. “Can’t you see it?”

Diana glanced over at the young man behind the counter to find him staring at her with a dreamy expression on his face. “He’s just being nice,” she said as she picked up her fork to eat. “You’re reading far too much into nothing.”

John shook his head in amusement. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“About what?” she cried in frustration. “Between you and Kal, I’m supposed to know something, but I obviously don’t know what you’re talking about so why don’t you enlighten me?”

“Fine,” he decided. “Where would you like me to start?”

“What happened on that mission to find Chronos that I don’t remember?” she questioned him, getting right to the point. “Something obviously happened on that mission that upset Bruce. If there’s something wrong, I’d like to know about it so I can help him.”

“Are you sure you really want to know?” he asked. “It might change things between you and Bruce.”

“John, something happened that I was a part of, but I have no memories of,” she explained. “I think I deserve some sort of explanation and we both know it’ll be far easier to steal a tooth from Cerberus in the pits of Tartarus than to try to get Bruce to tell me anything.”

“True,” he admitted with a reluctant sigh. “If I tell you what I saw, you have to promise me that you won’t tell Bats. I like all my body parts right where they are and in working condition.”

“I promise,” she swore with growing annoyance, her grip tightening on her fork. “Just tell me already.”

“Well, you already know we went to the past before ending up in the future,” he began to explain, pausing to take a drink of his coffee. “When we got there, we were met by the future Justice League including Warhawk and Batman.”

“Bruce couldn’t have possibly still been Batman,” she said with a confused frown. “He would’ve been well into his eighties by then. There’s no way he could possibly function as Batman at that age.”

“It wasn’t him,” he confirmed with a shake of his head. “It was a guy by the name of Terry McGinnis. He took us to the Batcave where we met Bruce as an old man.”

“Hera,” she murmured in surprise. “Well, it’s a relief to know that he lives to be that old.”

“I can’t tell you everything that we learned because it could affect how we react now,” he reminded her.

“Please, don’t tell me what happens to me,” she agreed, her instincts telling her that something had happened. “My future is in the hands of my gods, but I want to know what happened to Bruce.”

“I can tell you the old Bruce was pretty stunned to see you,” he replied. “It was obvious that seeing you affected him deeply, but I have no idea why or what had happened between you two that caused him to react like that. There was a bitterly cold detachment about him that I’ve never seen to that degree in our Bruce. He seemed very angry and embittered…not in good health at all. Whatever he’d been through had changed him considerably, but not for the good.”

“That doesn’t seem too much different from Bruce now.”

“No, Diana, this was much worse,” he clarified, his eyes darkening with the memories from that fateful trip to the future. “If you think there’s a hard shell around him now then you haven’t seen anything yet. I don’t think anyone could penetrate the reinforced walls that he’d built around himself over the last fifty years. His relationship with Terry was tenuous at best and I don’t think that there was anyone else in his life.”

“He was alone?” she asked, her voice filled with sorrow.

She looked away from him as her mind took her places she didn’t want to go. Where were Dick and Tim? Where was Barbara? Had they all deserted him or had his desperate need to keep everyone at arms’ length finally taken its toll on them as well?

John nodded his head as he regarded her for a thoughtful moment, noticing how it hurt her to hear what he was telling her. “It certainly appeared that way. As cantankerous as the old Bruce was, I’m not the least bit surprised. I doubt anyone could’ve put up with that for very long.”

“Something had to have happened to him that made him completely withdraw from everyone like that,” she said more to herself than to her friend. “What happened next?”

“We were all standing there talking when you suddenly disappeared right before our eyes,” he continued. “Batman nearly flipped out. He tried to grab hold of you to keep you from vanishing, but it was no use. Chronos had compromised the timeline so either you never left Themyscira or you never even existed.”

Diana sat back, stunned by the revelation. “I know the reports said that I was there, but then I disappeared, but why would Bruce react like that? He had to have realized it was a possibility with the way Chronos was tampering with time.”

“Why indeed?” he muttered with a knowing smirk, an eyebrow arched. “Why would either Bruce react the way they did when you vanished?”

“What do you mean?”

“You should have seen the look on the old Bruce’s face when you disappeared,” he told her, sitting back in his seat as he laid his fork down. “He looked as though his whole world had just shattered all over again. Later, both Bruce’s had a private conversation. I don’t know what was discussed, but our Bruce hasn’t been the same since then. Whatever they talked about really rattled him. I have a feeling that’s the reason he’s been MIA since returning from the future.”

“Poor Bruce,” she murmured, feeling guilty for being so mad at him. She should’ve known that there was something more going on then what they all knew. Of course, there had to be. There always was when it came to him. “I wish there was some way to help Bruce get past whatever happened that turned him into such a recluse.”

“Bruce felt it was best to limit as much information about what we encountered in the future so as not to affect the timeline too much.”

Diana’s expression shifted from one of compassionate sorrow to one of anger in less than a heartbeat. “I understand that, but if there’s a way to avert whatever catastrophe is coming, then shouldn’t we at least try to take it?” she demanded to know, her blue orbs burning with fierce determination. “Why should we just sit back and allow whatever is coming happen? Why not try to confront it head on?”

John scratched his bearded chin as he thought about it. He’d forgotten how intelligent Diana was. He should’ve guessed she’d picked up on the things that he wasn’t telling her. “Because you know as well as I do that we’d be playing with people’s lives, Diana,” he pointed out, knowing they were treading on very delicate subject matter now despite the fact that even he didn’t know what Bruce had learned from his elder self. “We could inadvertently cause something far worse to happen if we tamper with what we now know about the future.”

“Couldn’t the same be said for you with your refusal to even consider the possibility of you and Shayera getting back together?” she perceptively countered, noticing how John’s shoulders sagged and his eyes grew hard. “I know how difficult it was for you when Shayera left, John. Now that she’s back, I can’t even imagine how much harder it must be. 

“Hera, I’m still furious with her for betraying us, but you can’t dig your heels in and refuse to even accept what you saw. Just because you saw something in the future doesn’t mean it’s cemented in stone or should cause us to cower in fear of what might or might not come.”

John scowled darkly as he averted his eyes, watching as Fire and Hawk walked in together. He knew she was right, but he still didn’t like the notion of his future being dictated by anyone or anything. “I’m with Vixen now, Diana,” he stated, a hard edge to his voice that hinted at his stubbornness.

“I’m not telling you to break up with Vixen and go running back to Shay,” she said, frowning at his obstinacy. “I just don’t want you to miss out on something amazing just because you refuse to allow what you saw in the future to affect your present. I’m just asking you to leave your heart open to the possibility. Just please think about it.”

Diana reached across the table, laying her hand on top of his. He glanced down at his plate with a frown as he drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nose. He appreciated what she was trying to do for him, but he knew this was something he was going to have to work through by himself in his own time.

“I know,” he admitted glumly. “I still love her, Di. I think I probably always will, but I’m not ready to put my heart out there for her again just to have it broken.”

“Just make sure you don’t stay with Vixen out of fear of getting hurt by Shay again,” she reminded him, pulling her hand away. “It’s not fair to either of you.”

“Thanks, Di,” he softly said, his mind trying to process everything. It would definitely take some time to really decide what it was that he wanted in his life…or better yet who he wanted. He didn’t even know if Shayera still had any feelings for him or if she really ever did.

“Thank you for telling me, John,” she replied. “It had to be hard to see what had happened and not be able to talk about it with anyone. I can only imagine how Bruce is dealing with it…or better yet not dealing with it knowing him.”

“Actually, it has been difficult,” he admitted, his thinning into a grim line. “It did help to talk to you about it even if I did leave some details out.”

Diana released a weary sigh as she reached for her iced mocha. “Now, if I can just find a way to help Bruce.”

“Good luck with that,” he commiserated with her. “That’s an uphill battle I wouldn’t want to fight, but I know if anyone can tackle it, it’s most definitely you.”

**_Gotham; September 21st, 00:34 EST_ **

Sitting in the Batmobile, Batman took a sip of his coffee, his ever vigilant gaze scrutinizing the setting before him as he watched and waited. He had taught himself a long time ago the art of patiently waiting out a potential crime scene in an effort to gather as much information as possible.

That patience, however, never seemed to carry over very well into other aspects of his life.

Glancing at the time, he found himself growing more annoyed by the moment. His crook had gone quiet for far too long and it made him apprehensive. His thief was either not going to continue the pattern that had been established with their previous hits or he’d completely misread the pattern that he’d identified.

He highly doubted the latter was the reason for it. He was never wrong. It was more likely that something had kept the thief from continuing the established pattern. It just didn’t make any sense why the thief hadn’t made their next move just yet.

He stared at the back entrance of the jewelry store, hoping to catch his thief in the act tonight and solve this case once and for all. He had other cases that needed his attention, but he was fairly certain that he knew the crook behind this string of robberies and wanted to nip it in the bud before it escalated any further.

Taking another drink of his coffee, Bruce couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander and when he did that, they always seemed to wander to a certain Amazon princess whether he wanted it to or not. He frowned as he remembered how angry that he’d made her yesterday morning. Now, he had a computer monitor to replace because of it as well as four training droids. He knew he deserved it, but he couldn’t find the will to care at that moment.

Diana was the only one he’d ever known that could get so far under his skin like she always managed to, unnerving him and keeping him on his toes. He didn’t like it one bit. He felt it was only fair for her to share in his frustration for once. 

“Batman to Robin.”

“This is Robin,” he responded after a handful of seconds. “What’s up?”

“Everything quiet so far?”

“Not a peep yet,” Robin responded. “It’s almost creepy.”

“The calm before the storm,” Batman muttered with great displeasure. He had a bad feeling that things were stirring just beneath the surface just waiting to erupt in his beloved city.

“I hope so,” Robin mumbled. “This is boring.”

“Just keep your eyes open and stay alert,” Batman ordered him. “I’ll signal you when I want you to go in.”

“You got it,” he responded. “Robin out.”

Batman turned his attention back to the jewelry store, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something lurking in the shadows to the right. He set his coffee cup down, silently exiting his vehicle and securing it before making his way towards the store. It was time to catch a thief.

He reached for his grappling gun, firing it and allowing the line to carry him up and away. His cape whipped behind him as he took to the air, savoring the feel of the wind on his face and the exhilarating sensation that soaring over his city always brought him.

Landing on a rooftop of an adjoining building, Batman retracted his line before exchanging it for a batarang. He stealthily crept across the roof, looking down over the jewelry store and waiting to see if his thief was truly there.

He crouched low on the ledge, his gaze roaming over the area and catching a glimpse of someone only for the thief to vanish. It definitely confirmed his suspicions about the identity of his thief. He dropped onto the roof of the store, using his cape to control his descent.

Moonlight cut a bright swath across the back of the store, illuminating his path as he made his way to the back door to find it ajar. He knew he was going to have to be careful dealing with this particular villain. She had a unique method of making sure she always got what she wanted.

With batarang tightly gripped in his hand, Batman carefully entered through the back, finding that the security system had been effectively disabled. He could make out the faint sounds of someone moving about the front of the store, sliding open glass cases in order to take what they had come for.

He cautiously worked his way down the long hallway towards the front, staying close to the shadows as he crept closer. The sound of shattering glass abruptly filled the air, alerting him to the fact that he was getting closer and his thief was growing impatient. His lips thinned into a grim line as he stopped at the end of the hallway.

He caught the outline of a tall, feminine figure in the far corner of the store bent over a glass display case, lifting a large diamond necklace out of it to inspect the jewelry. “Drop it, Natalia,” he growled.

Nocturna whipped around, startled by the unexpected appearance of the Dark Knight behind her. “Batman,” she snapped, tightening her grip on the necklace in her hand.

“You’re crime spree has come to an end,” he told her.

Nocturna frowned as she firmly clutched her stash, her red lips twisted into sneer. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she maintained as she slowly stepped away with the necklace still in hand.

Batman watched her every move, anticipating her attempt to escape while trying to stay clear of her. He wasn’t about to lose control because of her pheromone perfume. “I know you’re the one who has been knocking off all the jewelry stores in Gotham lately.”

“You can’t tie those other robberies to me,” she claimed, lifting her chin in defiance.

“Want to bet?” he challenged her. “Robin is at your apartment right now. I imagine he’s going to find quite a few items that don’t belong to you.”

Nocturna angrily screamed, kicking over a display. There was no way she was going back to jail. “You’re going to pay for this,” she hissed as she dropped her stash to charge at him.

Batman waited as she stormed towards him, letting her make the first move. Enraged, she swung her fist at him with a furious cry, Batman pulling back at the last second and taking her off balance. He skillfully grabbed her by the arm, twisting it behind her and roughly pulling her back against his chest.

“You’re done,” he rasped in her ear.

“What happened to you, Batman?” she asked, breathing heavily. “You used to have feelings for me. Have you so quickly forgotten?”

“No, I just realized that it wasn’t healthy,” he replied, his lips brushing against her ear.

“It’s because of Catwoman that you decided you didn’t love me anymore,” she angrily seethed, trying to twist out of his tight hold on her.

“There is nothing going on with her either…not that it’s any of your business,” he informed her, tightening his grip on her to keep her from breaking free.

Nocturna slipped out of his hold by transporting herself behind him, prepared to launch an attack. He spun on his heel to face her, anticipating the kick that was no doubt coming. He swiftly grabbed her by the ankle, spinning her around and throwing her across the floor. He reached for his handcuffs as he marched towards her, ready to end this.

She leapt to her feet only to assume a crouching position, more than ready to strike again. She was not about to go down without a fight to the bitter end. “Who is it this time that has captured the Batman’s attention?” she demanded to know, bitterness lacing her voice.

An image of Diana instantly filled his mind with the question, causing him to internally scowl. She was infiltrating his thoughts more and more despite the six weeks he’d taken off from the League in an effort to gain some perspective. It obviously hadn’t worked one iota.

A smug grin spread across Nocturna’s face, her eyes glowing with the newly gleaned information. “Ah, so there is someone,” she mocked. “I can tell from the slight shift in your expression. Who is she, Batman? Someone I might know?”

“There’s no one,” he adamantly stated, angry with himself for allowing a flicker of emotion to show through. He held up his handcuffs in one hand as his other hand surreptitiously reached into his utility belt. “Time to go, Natalia.”

Her lithe frame began to circle him, her grin growing with every passing second. “I think you’re a horrible liar,” she challenged him. “Could it be another bad girl in Gotham or maybe this time it’s a teammate?”

He stiffened with her conjecture, but kept it his irritation from showing. “You’re postponing the inevitable.”

“And your dodging my questions,” she countered.

“We have nothing to discuss,” he evenly stated. “You’re going to jail.”

Her grin morphed into a scowl as she launched herself at him, ready to take him out and make her escape. Batman blocked her strike, raising his gauntlets to fend off her attack. He quickly retaliated with a move of his own, dropping down and extending his leg.

With her legs swept out from under her, Nocturna teleported herself to the other side of the room, landing hard on the ground. She got up a little slower this time, shaking off the dazed feeling that washed over her and trying to catch her breath.

Before she could attack again, Batman pulled out his flashlight, shining the light directly on her. She quickly fell to her knees, trying to shield herself from the bright glare of the beam, but it was no use. It surrounded and encompassed her, leaving her completely vulnerable.

Batman closed the distance between them, keeping the light directly on her. Handcuffing her, he pulled her up onto her feet, hitting the switch on the wall that flooded the room with light. Nocturna angrily growled, twisting her wrists in an attempt to get free, but it was useless.

“If you ever felt anything for me, you’ll let me go,” she insisted.

“I do feel something for you, Natalia,” he told her as he secured her. “I feel pity for you.”

“Whether you admit it or not, I can tell there’s someone that has captured your attention,” she taunted him. “I’m sure you’ll end up breaking her heart just like every other woman you’ve used only to throw them aside like trash.”

“Robin has contacted the police,” he told her, ignoring her derision. “There are a couple of units on their way here now and another one already at your apartment recovering all the jewelry you’ve stolen.”

Nocturna snarled at him, the sound of sirens in the distance steadily growing louder. “I’ll be back, Batman,” she sneered. “You can’t just toss me aside so easily again and get away with it.”

“Goodbye, Natalia,” he evenly said to her, turning his back as he made a quick retreat.

He vanished into the night as the police poured into the jewelry store, his thoughts consumed with the things that she had said to him. Normally, he never paid any attention to what criminals said to him, always brushing it off and moving on to the next crime with little thought.

Tonight, however, Natalia’s words had cut him in an unexpected way. She’d had no way of knowing what he’d been wrestling with over the last several weeks—the ghosts of his past and the relentless demons that lived in his soul…the terrifying specters that awaited them in the future if he didn’t do something about it soon.

There had been many women that had come and gone from his life, broken hearts on both sides of the relationships he had been involved in. It had never been his intention to hurt Natalia, but it had been an unhealthy relationship from the very beginning. That’s what he’d always done—falling for women who were dark and dangerous and broken because he knew he’d never be able to allow himself to completely fall in love with them.

It was safer that way, having the companionship and affection that he longed for without having to worry about ever giving up his life or heart for them. Natalia, Selina, Talia…all of them were truly unattainable because they went against everything that he believed in and fought so hard against.

It had given him a dalliance with them that had relieved the lonely ache that lived in his chest. It had momentarily helped to ease the physical desire that he carried, but they had never completely filled the dark void that seemed to have possession of his soul or put jagged pieces of his life back together again for him. Instead, they only seemed to add to the dysfunctional brokenness that defined him.

Diana.

Her name drifted through his mind as he stood on top of a nearby rooftop, the wind tugging at the edges of his cape and causing it to billow around him like an inky sail. He watched as they wrestled Nocturna into one of the police cars, feeling sorry for her. He knew he had hurt her by ultimately rejecting her, but he’d had to in order to save a measure of himself.

If he allowed Diana into his life, would he end up rejecting her as well?

His chest constricted with the thought. That was one of his biggest fears. What if they ended up not working out or, even worse, she hated him? He couldn’t bear the thought of knowing her touch…her love only to lose her in the end.

By keeping her at arms’ length, he at least had her friendship, her partnership even though it wasn’t everything that he truly wanted with her. He just wasn’t certain if love was worth the risk of losing everything that they shared now.

Drawing a deep breath, Batman released it slowly, the faint smell of rain filling the air. Gazing up at the dark night sky, he saw flashes of lightning illuminating the distant horizon. There was a storm coming, one that rivaled the one that had been brewing in his heart since coming home from the future.

The things that he had witnessed, the things that he had learned had affected him far deeper than he ever would’ve imagined. He’d always been very good at compartmentalizing everything, sorting through events and critically examining them from every angle with a logical eye.

For some reason he couldn’t quite grasp, he was having a very difficult time doing it now. Emotions were too strong, feelings far too intense despite the self-imposed isolation. Seeing Diana at the museum had only brought the memories of watching her disappear right before his eyes to the surface all over again. It had reminded him once more of the painful sense of loss that had consumed him in that horrifying moment as he had reached for her only to grab nothing but thin air.

It nearly stopped his heart just thinking about it now.

Turning, he quickly made his way back to his Batmobile, settling into the driver’s seat as he turned on his police scanner. He scowled as a call came across about a theft that had occurred at Veronica Vreeland’s home. Starting up the engine, he took off towards her house, wondering what was going on.

Pushing aside thoughts of Diana once more, he forced himself to focus on Gotham. His love life…or lack thereof…could wait for another day. Gotham, however, could not.

He tore through the streets of his city, a frown etched deeply in his face as his mind raced. He was worried about what had happened at Veronica’s home, relieved that no ambulance had been called. That had been a definite positive sign that eased his mind somewhat.

Pulling up at the edge of her property, Batman parked the car, exiting it quickly before racing across the grounds towards the house. He fired his grappling gun in mid-run, hearing it catch on the roof before allowing it to carry him away.

He was surprised that he had beaten the police there, but only mildly. It had been a very busy night in Gotham so far on top of taking in Nocturna who can be a handful to deal with. He hoped to get in and get out of here before they arrived.

Scaling along the side of the mansion, he found an open window allowing him entrance. Slipping inside, he carefully made his way to where he heard crying, knowing that it was Ronnie. Entering her suite, he found her sitting on the floor of her walk-in closet that was nearly the size of her bedroom.

Ronnie looked up, gasping in surprise to find the Batman standing in the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to investigate the robbery,” he rasped, while trying to sound somewhat gentle. “What happened here tonight?”

“I was out with some friends at a club tonight,” she tearfully explained from her kneeled position on the floor. “When I came home, I found my sapphire necklace had been stolen.”

Bruce immediately knew which necklace she was describing. It was an antique, a family heirloom that had been handed down to Ronnie by her mother. It was one that meant a great deal to her since it had been given to her by her mother.

“Where was it kept?” he asked.

“In the safe…there,” she told him, pointing to a wall safe.

He briskly walked across the room to the large wall safe that was hanging open. He took out a small flashlight to shine it inside; finding several pieces of expensive jewelry carefully laid out on velvet lined trays and organized by size and color. There was an empty space to the right of a large ruby and diamond ring where the necklace must have been kept. In its place, though, was a white business card. 

Frowning, Batman carefully picked up the card, turning it over to find it completely blank on both sides. It was the most unusual calling card that he’d ever discovered that had been left behind by a crook. Taking out an evidence bag, he slipped the card inside of it to study it better when he got back to the cave, knowing there had to be more to all of this.

“Was there anything else taken?” he asked as he carefully dusted for fingerprints.

Ronnie wiped at her eyes with a handful of Kleenex, sniffling as she thought about it. “No, not that I’ve noticed,” she replied. “The safe downstairs wasn’t even touched. I just don’t understand why he’d take it and nothing else. It means the world to me.”

“I’ll see what I can do about finding it, Miss Vreeland,” Batman reassured her.

“Anything you can do to get it back would be greatly appreciated,” she told him. “It’s been in my family for generations, passed down from mother to daughter.”

He watched as the tears came again, her hands moving to cover her face. He fought the urge to go to her and embrace his distraught friend, reminding himself that he was Batman right now, not Bruce Wayne. While her head was lowered, he took the opportunity to make a quick exit.

He had work to do, a sapphire necklace to recover and another thief to find.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_**Batcave; September 22nd, 19:15 EST** _

Bruce stared at the evidence that he’d collected at Ronnie’s or the lack thereof. He’d grown frustrated hours ago as he continually mulled over the case in his mind, trying to put the pieces together. It just didn’t make any sense to him no matter what angle he tried to look at it.

The longer that he thought about it, the less clear it all seemed. Why would the thief bypass all of the other pieces of jewelry only to take a sapphire necklace? If he or she had taken everything in Ronnie’s safe, he could have easily stolen hundreds of millions of dollars worth of jewelry. Instead, he took a single necklace worth about one million dollars at most.

He sat back in his chair with a huff of anger. It had been difficult seeing Ronnie so upset and not being able to comfort her, but he couldn’t have risked his identity. He would have to call her later to check on her and see how she was doing. In the meantime, however, he needed to figure out what the meaning was behind the blank business card the thief had left behind.

Despite all the absurd things that he’d encountered in Gotham over the years, this was turning out to be one of the most perplexing. He had run every single test that he could think of on it and had come up empty. There had to be some sort of significance to it, one that he just wasn’t seeing.

It had loitered in the back of his mind all day at work today which seemed to only add to his frustration. Even the Riddler with all of his complex riddles hadn’t proven to be this difficult to decipher, making him wonder even more who or what it was he was actually going up against.

He ran the card through his data base, finding that the thief had been quite active for the last three years. Starting out in England, he had soon expanded his thieving ways to Europe and now into America. What he particularly didn’t like was the fact that the thief had now set his sights on Gotham. That definitely didn’t sit well with him.

Knowing that he had started his string of robberies in England had helped somewhat in that he had a feeling that he was more than likely looking for an Englishman, but he still couldn’t rule out anyone at this point until he had more information. What bothered him the most, however, was the fact that this was the same thief that Diana and he had encountered at The Met the other day.

If he’d paid more attention to Diana and the case instead of trying to escape back to Gotham like he had, they might have been able to stop him before he could steal Ronnie’s necklace. He knew that he couldn’t think about that now. Instead, he needed to focus on finding this thief before he struck again.

Bruce frowned as his gaze fell to the invitation that he’d received from England, Alfred leaving it on his work desk. He had told Alfred that he couldn’t afford being gone from Gotham to attend a four day auction event like that. This was Alfred’s way of silently telling him that he needed to reconsider his decision.

He knew that Alfred only had his wellbeing in mind, feeling he needed to get away from Gotham for a while, but he just couldn’t sacrifice the time. Pushing the invitation aside, he reached for his cup of coffee, the sound of the transporter alerting him to the fact that he had a visitor.

Bruce frowned to himself. He was not in the mood to see any of his teammates and especially not this particular one who was making an appearance in his cave uninvited and unwanted. He wasn’t ready to confront these feelings for that he didn’t even want to have in the first place.

 _“Don’t be a complete fool like I was…let her into your life before you lose her forever…”_ his elder self had told him. _“I’m trying to save you from the crushing heartache that will consume your life if you don’t.”_

He gritted his teeth as he tried to banish future Bruce’s voice from his head. He leaned even further over his work desk, holding the business card under the lit magnifying glass to inspect it once more. With a little bit of luck, she’d notice that he was busy working and leave, but he was never that lucky.

“Hi, Bruce,” Diana greeted him.

“Princess,” he stated. 

His clipped response held more exasperation than real anger as he kept his back to her. She noticed how tense his posture was as she approached, his head lowered as he continued to work without even turning to actually look at her.

She hated to bother him while he was clearly busy working, but she really did need his help. After talking to John about what had they encountered in the future, her anger with Bruce had melted away. In its place, great compassion and empathy had been born.

She wanted to be there for him, to help him to deal with whatever it was that had occurred that had upset him so deeply. Despite their differences, she truly cared for him, wanted to be there for him. She was even willing to swallow her pride and ask for his assistance in trying to find this thief.

“What do you want?”

She brushed off the brusqueness of his question, knowing that she had invaded his beloved sanctuary uninvited. It was logical that he would take umbrage with that. She couldn’t ever remember receiving a truly friendly greeting from him even when he had invited her.

“I was wondering if you could help me with something,” she tentatively ventured as she came to a stop behind him, hoping that he would actually face her.

“I’m busy,” he bluntly replied. 

It was something that was uttered so automatically by him that she wondered if he even realized that he had spoken. Instead of arguing with him, she chose a different approach, standing silently behind him to wait him out. She didn’t know how long it would take, but she was prepared to wait for as long as it took.

Bruce could feel her presence behind him, her eyes practically boring into the back of his skull. He was somewhat surprised when she didn’t respond, didn’t start to argue with him. He continued to study the card under the magnifying glass, his curiosity definitely piqued with her silent stance. What was she up to and exactly how long was she planning to wait?

He hated it that she was getting to him. He didn’t know what she was up to, but he wasn’t interested in finding out. He ignored her as he continued to work, focusing on the card, but she was making it next to impossible. He could smell her tantalizing scent that made his body begin to respond to her in ways that he didn’t want to, his focus completely on her and not on his work.

After several minutes of suffocating silence, he finally spoke. “You’re not going to leave are you?”

“Nope,” she simply stated, folding her arms against her chest as she leaned against an adjacent work table that held various Bat gadgets and inventions in the works.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he exhaled in agitation.”What is it, Princess?”

“Would you at least do me the courtesy of turning around and facing me?” she asked with surprising patience, reminding herself that he was going to be even more closed off than usual for him. It was going to take every ounce of self-control and persistence that she had not to pummel him.

She watched as he laid something aside before he turned to face her, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. He looked at her warily, his eyes roaming over her before finally meeting her gaze. His expression softened somewhat as he waited for her to speak, but there was still a definite edge to him that she wanted to erase, a tightness at the corners of his eyes that hinted of a heavy load he was carrying on the inside.

He actually looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot, dark shadows under his eyes from lack of sleep. She fought the urge to go to him and take him into her arms, knowing that he wouldn’t appreciate the gesture from her right now. He’d definitely throw her out for sure if she tried that.

“That’s better,” she said with a warm smile.

Bruce couldn’t help but notice how her smile alone seemed to illuminate the dreary cave he’d been holed up in for almost two months. She looked beautiful standing there in a simple chiton and sandals. Of course, nothing was ever considered simple on her. Her raven hair was like an inky waterfall over her shoulders, a stark contrast to the pure white of her chiton.

He forcefully tamped down on the feelings swelling inside of him, choosing rather to fold his arms against his chest in a mirror image of the Amazon standing a few feet away from him. “Make it quick,” he snapped. “I have an important case that I’m working on.”

“I need your thoughts on this,” she replied, holding up the blank business card left behind at The Met.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached over and picked up an identical business card off his work desk. “I’ve already been working on it.”

Diana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she closed the distance between them in four quick strides. “Where did you get that?” she asked, snatching it right out of his hand.

“Robbery last night at a home in Gotham,” he revealed, taking the card back.

“Have you found anything yet?” she asked, looking to her left at the various assortment of toys. She swore that he had every device, instrument, and tool known to men when it came to investigating a crime.

“No,” he stated with a barely perceptible sigh, looking at his work station as well. “I’ve run every test I can think of, but I’ve found nothing. I know there is something on it, but I can’t figure out what it is yet.”

“Me too,” Diana confessed. “I hope you don’t mind, but I used your lab on the Watchtower to run some tests on my card too. I couldn’t find anything either.”

Bruce looked at her with genuine surprise on his face. He knew that he really shouldn’t be. Diana was extremely intelligent, far more so than he gave her credit for sometimes. She was definitely more than just a pretty face or a skilled warrior.

She wasn’t someone so easily dismissed or discounted. She probably already figured out the Chronos mission was the reason behind his self-imposed seclusion. He hoped that she wouldn’t bring it up. He really wasn’t in the mood to discuss it, especially with her.

“There has to be some significant meaning behind it,” he thoughtfully said, his annoyance with her unexpected appearance vanishing.

Diana moved away from him to stand before his desk, placing her card under the magnifying glass. He watched as a raven lock fell over her shoulder as she leaned closer, the light of the magnifier creating a stunning glow on her face.

He unconsciously moved to stand right next to her, leaning over to examine her card for any markings that his card didn’t possess. His brow knitted as he leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers. She pulled the offending raven lock behind her ear, acutely aware of his close proximity and his masculine scent.

The smell of his aftershave hit her full force, taking her off guard. She felt an unexpected flutter of nervousness, but she quickly tucked it away, reminding herself that he was just a good friend and colleague—nothing more.

She had thought about a romantic relationship with him, but he obviously wasn’t interested in her. After talking to John yesterday, she was beginning to wonder if he actually did feel something beyond the boundaries of just friendship. It created a sense of confusion in her, challenging what she believed she felt for him.

Was it more than friendship?

“What is that?” she murmured, spotting something she hadn’t noticed before.

“What?” he questioned her, leaning in even closer to see, the side of his head coming to rest against hers.

“There’s something in the bottom corner…right there,” she softly said, pointing at her discovery.

“How in the world did you see that?” he muttered, frowning as he reached for a pair of tweezers.

“Don’t be too impressed, Bruce,” she replied. “I’ve studied this card for the last four days and I just now happened to notice it.”

“Still you found something that I had missed,” he pointed out with great irritation with himself as he carefully pried the corner of the card apart, removing a tiny microchip.

He held it up under the magnifying glass to study it, still hyperaware of just how close she was to him. He could feel her warmth through the thin cotton of his t-shirt, her intoxicating scent swirling around him, the soft brush of her breath against his skin. He could see her grin out of the corner of his eye.

“Was that a compliment, Bruce?” she teased.

“Better take it,” he grumbled. “The chances of it happening again are very slim.”

He could practically feel her amusement bubbling up inside of her. It actually helped to lighten his mood somewhat. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually grown a sense of humor over the last several weeks,” she said with a wicked smirk.

The corners of his lips curled slightly as he studied the microchip. “Don’t tell anyone, Princess,” he joked. “Wouldn’t want it to damage my sparkling reputation.”

“Two jokes in less than five minutes,” she noted with a chuckle. “It must be some sort of record.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he countered.

Diana turned her head slightly, looking to Bruce. “So what do you think it is?” she questioned him, her lips nearly grazing his ear.

A shiver raced up his spine as she spoke, forcing him to swallow hard in an effort to stop the gasp that had risen in his throat. “I’m not quite sure,” he replied, his voice huskier than he had anticipated. He silently cursed to himself, clearing his throat before speaking again. “I’ll have to do some tests on it.”

Thankfully for him, Diana straightened up. “We should check your card.”

He held his breath as she reached across his back for the business card lying to his right, her ample breasts brushing against him. He forced himself to concentrate on keeping his heart rate even as she settled in beside him once more.

She held Bruce’s card beneath the glass, studying it for the same tiny microchip. Bruce found himself slanting his head to get a better look, watching as Diana grabbed another pair of tweezers to check each corner for a similar chip.

She turned the card three times, checking each corner. Turning the card once more, she finally found what she’d been looking for. “Got it,” she whispered more to herself than him.

She held the chip up with her tweezers, narrowing her eyes as she studied it. Bruce carefully took the tweezers from her, his hand brushing against hers and causing her skin to tingle where he had just touched her.

He frowned as he studied it, his mind racing to process the new clue that Diana had discovered in the card. It made no sense to him why the thief would plant a clue there that no one would likely ever find. Instead of clearing things up, it only seemed to add to the mystery that surrounded this whole case.

“Why would he put that chip there knowing no one would probably find it?” Diana asked, giving voice to his thoughts.

Bruce glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, still very aware of how she was pressed up against his side. It was definitely not helping him think clearly. He wished that she would leave him alone so he could work, ignoring the small voice inside telling him to make her stay.

“I think our thief is taunting us,” he finally answered her. “This is an intricate game he’s constructed, one that he’s anxious for someone to play with him.”

“I agree, but how do we catch him when we can’t even get a glimpse of him?” she asked, pulling away from him much to his relief. “I checked all the security tapes at The Met for any clues. He somehow hacked into the security system. It was nothing but static.”

Diana turned to lean her back against the edge of his work desk with a heavy sigh, folding her arms against her chest as she watched him. He could feel her gaze burning into him as she waited for a response, her frustration palpable.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” he muttered as he slipped the chip under his microscope. “We’ll catch him.”

A playful smile returned to her red lips. “We?” she repeated, pleased with the unexpected turn of events. “Are you serious?”

He looked up sharply from his microscope, stunned by what he had just said. He realized that he’d made a very dangerous slip. “I mean me,” he corrected himself. He had a feeling she wouldn’t buy it.

“No way, Bruce,” she stubbornly stated, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously as she leaned in close to him. “This is my case. I’ll let you help, but you’re not taking it away from me. We either work on together on this as a team or I’m leaving and taking my evidence with me.”

He met her glare head-on with one of his own, knowing that she wasn’t going to back down. “I work better on my own, Princess,” he spat out.

“Well, you’re going to have to learn how to work with others then because I’m not going anywhere,” she told him. “Face it, Bruce. You’re stuck with me until this case gets solved.”

His insides clenched with anger, furious with himself for opening his mouth like he had. He knew he’d gotten himself into this mess and, unfortunately, there was no way out of it except to find the thief and solve the case.

Bruce cursed under his breath as he looked away from her, a dark glower adorning his face. “Fine,” he snapped, “but you do as I say. I’m in charge of this case. You’ll follow my rules or you can just return to the Watchtower right now.”

Diana cocked a raven eyebrow as she glared at him, not at all appreciating his attitude. As he turned to move away, he found himself being yanked back into place by a very angry Amazon who had a tight grip on the front of his t-shirt. He found himself almost nose to nose with the source of his stress for the last several weeks.

“I am not one of your little sidekicks that you can boss around and expect to jump every time you bark an order in that condescending tone of yours,” she ground out with a deadly calm that almost caused him to shiver in response, but he kept his expression emotionless. “We are equals in this, Bruce. Now, what is our next step?”

“First off, you can let go of my shirt,” he uttered with a scowl as he glanced down at the fierce grip she had on him. 

“Oh…sorry,” she murmured, quickly releasing her hold on him. She ran her hand over his chest, smoothing out his shirt for him only to feel the chiseled muscles that lay hidden beneath the fabric. It both startled and excited her at the same time, taking her by surprise.

Bruce’s breath hitched with the way she was running her hand over her chest, noticing the way that her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she quickly retracted her hand. He instantly missed the warmth of her touch that he felt through his shirt, but swiftly dismissed it as nothing more than loneliness from being sequestered in his cave for so long. It couldn’t be anything more than that.

“I’m going to need to run some tests on these cards and the hidden microchips before we can go any further,” he told her. “In the meantime, send me all your notes and evidence you’ve gathered so far so we can consolidate it. From that, we should be able to come up with some sort of a profile of who we’re actually looking for.”

“Do you have any idea of when you think he’ll strike again?” she asked.

“I have some thoughts, but I don’t want to say right now,” he replied as he turned his attention to his microscope once more, basically dismissing her with his refusal to divulge his thoughts. Diana, however, wasn’t about to be dismissed so easily.

“Would one of those thoughts involve the Gotham Museum’s unveiling of its newly discovered Egyptian treasures?” she questioned him. Bruce’s head snapped up in surprise, causing her to smirk. “You’re not the only intelligent one around here you know.”

Bruce released a long slow breath, mostly to give him time to choose his words wisely this time. “Yes, it has crossed my mind that he might make an appearance there,” he reluctantly admitted. “I plan on attending to see if he shows up there.”

“Great,” she decided. “I’ll be dressed and ready to go.”

“I’m going alone,” he angrily bit out.

“Bruce Wayne cannot appear at a museum gala alone,” she triumphantly pointed out. “It would look far too suspicious. Besides, two sets of eyes are much better than just one and you know it.”

Bruce felt the beginning of a migraine forming behind his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t be seen with Wonder Woman. It’ll create a flurry of rumors and gossip that will only taint your reputation, Princess. I won’t let that happen.”

“You didn’t care about my reputation when you asked me to dance in Paris,” she archly reminded him.

“That was different,” he maintained.

“No, it is not,” she stated, her hands finding her hips. “Besides, I don’t care about what people think of me.”

“Well, I do,” he shot back. “You’re not going.”

“I’ve already sent in my RSVP,” she revealed with a smug smile.

Bruce growled as he fought to rein in his anger, his patience running dangerously thin and on the verge of cracking. “Diana,” he grumbled her name. It came out as a cross between a groan and a curse. “Why can’t you just let me handle this alone?”

“Because I care about this case and the rare artifacts that are being stolen,” she heatedly told him.”Why are you so determined to do this alone?”

“Because I care about—” he yelled in frustration, abruptly stopping before he could reveal something that he couldn’t take back…something that she wouldn’t let him take back.

Diana looked at him with confusion, closing the distance between them once more. “You care about what, Bruce?” she pressed with a frown.

He swore under his breath as he looked away from her. “Nothing,” he defiantly retorted, refusing to even broach the subject. He’s said far too much as it was without digging himself a deeper hole than he already was in.

She glared at him as she stood just inches away from him. “What do you care about, Bruce?” she asked again, anger punctuating every syllable.

He ground his teeth as he wrestled with the emotions that she aroused somewhere deep inside of him that he could’ve sworn that he’d locked away where no one could touch them. He refused to be ruled by emotions that were so fickle and changed just like the wind. That was why he needed to be logical about this…about her despite what his elder self had told him.

A firm yet gentle hand on his face forced him to meet her blue eyes filled with such compassion it nearly stole his breath away. “It matters to me, Bruce,” she softly said.

Staring into those impossibly blue eyes, he felt his walls begin to splinter, fractures and fissures spreading like intricate spider webs threatening to split wide open. He couldn’t…wouldn’t allow himself to indulge in a fleeting pleasure that would only end up destroying them both.

He refused to do that to her. He’d rather have her friendship and presence in his life then to know her touch and end up losing her forever in the end. That’s exactly what would happen if he let her in. She’d end up suffocating in his darkness and he couldn’t allow that. Why couldn’t his elder self understand that?

Diana felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest as she caressed his cheek, his eyes filled with such a dark storm of emotions she couldn’t begin to name them all. So much lay hidden beneath the masks that he constantly wore, what he concealed underneath the Kevlar and the endless barriers that had erected around his heart in order to protect himself.

It made her want to help him, making her resolved to break through his self-imposed isolation and put the broken pieces back together again because she truly cared about him. It was a startling revelation to her, but it was there and she could no longer ignore it. She cared about him, far more than she probably should or first believed.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, lost in each other as they both desperately searched for something that neither was sure that they were really ready to acknowledge let alone act upon. Thankfully, they didn’t have to at that moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” a feminine voice cut through the sexual tension that held them in its tight grasp. “I didn’t realize that you had company.”

Startled, Diana quickly pulled her hand away from his face as she turned to greet the unexpected visitor. “Barbara,” she greeted her with a bright smile, trying desperately to temper the tangle of warring emotions thrumming through her. “It’s good to see you again. It’s been a long time.”

Barbara stood several feet away from them, a playful grin playing on her lips as she looked from Bruce to Diana and back again. “Yes, it’s been too long,” she agreed, staring at Bruce who had turned his attention back to his work. “How have you been?”

“Good,” she replied with a nod. “I just stopped by to ask Bruce for some advice on a case that I’m working on. I should be going now, though. I have monitor duty in an hour.”

“You just had monitor duty three days ago,” Bruce pointed out with a frown as he looked at her.

“I’m covering for you,” she revealed. “I took your shift since you haven’t been around to do it.”

Bruce felt like a heel, not knowing quite how to respond. Lucky for him, Barbara came to his rescue. “That was very nice of you, Diana. Hopefully, Bruce will be back with the League again soon and can cover a shift for you in return.”

Bruce turned a dark bat-glare at his younger partner, but it did little to lessen the grin on her face. “Don’t you have to get ready for something?”

“Not really,” Barbara replied. “I’m waiting on Tim. We’re going to do some training together before going out on patrol.”

“Well, I need to return to the Watchtower,” Diana interjected, glancing at Bruce. “I’ll see you Sunday evening at the museum gala, Bruce.”

“Diana…” he began, ready to plunge headlong into another attempt to keep her from going, but she was already heading towards the transporter.

“Take care, Barbara,” Diana told her as she stepped onto the transporter pad. She looked at Bruce, giving him a warm smile before disappearing from sight.

Barbara turned back to stare at Bruce, her head tilted as she waited for an explanation. He scowled at her, not in the mood to talk. “What?” he bit out.

“So…you and Diana?” she ventured.

“There is no me and Diana so don’t even go there,” he snapped.

Barbara was definitely not buying a single word of it. She knew what she saw and what she had sensed when she had come down into the Batcave. She felt the electricity that their attraction to each other generated. It had been quite heated to say the least, taking her by surprise.

“Well, it certainly explains a lot,” she told him as she moved to stand next to him.

He gave her a sidelong glance as he worked to decipher the meaning behind the hidden microchips.”Explain what?” he groused in unmistakable exasperation.

“Why you’ve been avoiding the League for the last six weeks,” she informed him. “Something obviously happened that involved Diana and now you’re avoiding her.”

“I am not avoiding her,” he ground out. “I’ve been busy with cases in Gotham and you know it. Besides, I’m only a part-time member of the Justice League. I never committed to be there day in and day out.”

Barbara placed a hand on Bruce’s forearm, forcing him to stop working to meet her gaze. “Bruce, remember who you’re talking here,” she gently said. “I know you much better than that. It’s more than just you focusing on your mission. Something definitely occurred on that last mission with the League that made you realize that you care for Diana far more than just a teammate and now you don’t know what to do about it.”

His shoulders sagged as he averted his eyes, unable to meet her gaze any longer. He was tired—tired of fighting it, tired of denying it. He did care for Diana far more than he should, so much more than he wanted to. It still didn’t mean he should pursue a relationship with her no matter what his cantankerous older self had said.

Sensing the battle being waged deep within him, Barbara took his lack of denial as a good sign to continue. “There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with her,” she told him. “Diana is an amazing woman.”

His head snapped back to look at her, his brow furrowing. “I don’t love her,” he heatedly stated.

“But you definitely care about her more than just a friend,” Barbara amended, knowing Bruce wasn’t ready to admit to something as terrifying to him as love was. “It appears that she feels the same way about you. I think that you need to take a chance with her.”

“Barbara, you don’t understand,” he gritted out.

“What exactly is there to understand?”

“It’s just not that simple,” he countered, his fingers wrapping around the edge of his work desk, gripping it tightly and causing his knuckles to turn white. “I don’t even know if Diana has any feelings for me. Besides, she’s immortal and I have too many issues to be in a real relationship. You know it would never work and that’s not even taking all my enemies into consideration.”

“So you have thought about a relationship with her,” Barbara astutely deducted with a grin, her eyes bright with excitement with the prospect. She could see him beginning to shut down so she decided not to push him too much further…at least for now. “Look, only you can decide if she is worth the risk, but from where I’m standing, she’s definitely worth it and so are you.

“You don’t give yourself near enough credit, Bruce. You are a very good man and, even though you refuse to believe it, you deserve love and happiness with an amazing woman like Diana. Do you really think that you’re going to be able to find anyone better than an Amazon princess, especially one who can go toe-to-toe with you without running away screaming?”

Bruce stood as still as a statue as he thought about what she said. He wanted to believe the things that she said, but could he afford to? Barbara squeezed his forearm, not waiting for a response from him. “Think about it, Bruce,” she told him before turning and walking away, leaving him there all alone.

He looked down at his work desk, his thoughts and feelings in absolute turmoil. Drawing a deep breath, he released it slowly through his nose, deciding that he needed to focus on this case. He would worry about Diana later. He still had at least a week and a half before he needed to make a decision about her.

Right now, he needed to catch a thief.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**_Watchtower; September 23rd, 17:34 EST_ **

Diana sat in the entertainment room of the Watchtower with Flash watching a movie that he swore to her was the best movie of all time. Of course to him, every movie was the best movie of all time. Instead of focusing on the action-packed fight scenes, though, she found her thoughts consumed by a certain man—a stubborn, infuriating, maddening mortal man that she wanted to pound at any given time of the day depending on what he’d done to provoke her.

The realization that had struck her like a bolt of lightning yesterday continued to swirl determinedly in her mind, refusing to leave her. It had hit her as sure as a fist by Giganta as she had touched his cheek and stared into his eyes. The anguish and the internal struggle that she had discovered swimming there had been startling to say the least. He was always so in control and resolved, masking his emotions behind a thick veneer of deprecation and cool indifference.

She had seen far more of the real Bruce in that singular moment than he had ever verbally revealed to her in the last three years. It was something that had been unexpected to say the least, a rare gift that he had given her. She didn’t believe that he had meant for her to see so much, but she had and now she didn’t know what to do about these newly recognized feelings she realized consumed her heart.

She had gone to him for some help on her case or at least that’s what she had told him and herself. Deep down, she knew it had been far more than that. She had needed to see him, to check on him after what she had learned from talking to John.

Although he wouldn’t come out and admit it, Diana knew that Bruce’s visit to the future had affected him far deeper than she was certain that he’d ever admit to. It was going to be an uphill battle to attempt to get him to open up to her, but she was determined to at least try.

While she was hesitant to give what she felt for Bruce an actual name, she knew it definitely stepped outside the boundaries of just friendship or teammates. It was difficult to try to define it. Even though she felt an intense attraction to him, she wasn’t certain now if it was something that should actually be acted upon.

Yesterday, she had been fully resolved to help him, to put together the broken pieces of the Batman. Now, she wasn’t quite as convinced it was a task or a challenge that she was prepared to tackle. While she cared for him, she was a little worried about risking a broken heart or worse…destroying their friendship.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Diana looked up at the sound of the familiar voice, a scowl instantly forming on her face. She shot a dark glare at Flash who was already holding his hands up in front of him as he backed away from his spot on the couch next to her as if to escape physical harm.

“Now, Wondy,” he cautioned her. “I can explain.”

“I didn’t know that she was going to be here,” Shayera icily stated. “I’ll come back later.”

“No, I was just leaving,” Diana volunteered as she stood to her feet.

“Now, ladies,” Flash said as he leapt to his feet, holding out a cautioning hand towards each superheroine in hopes of warding off a cat fight. “We were all the best of friends in the past. I know we can get to that point again if we just tried. You each just need to make an effort.”

Diana and Shayera glowered at each other, neither budging from their spots. Flash zipped over to Shayera, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he warily guided her towards one end of the couch. The Thanagarian went grudgingly, but willingly, the sour expression on her face not diminishing in the least.

“We are going to sit here together, eat popcorn, watch a movie just like we used to and we’re all going to enjoy it,” he insisted, his voice broking no room for argument from either woman.

Flash suddenly appeared at Diana’s side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as well to guide her to the other end of the same couch before settling down between the feuding heroines. Reaching forward, he picked up a big bowl of popcorn off the table, sitting it on his lap.

“Now isn’t this fun?” he asked with a huge grin plastered on his masked face, looking at Diana on his left before glancing at Shayera on his right. Both women sat with arms folded and frowns fixed on their faces. “I don’t think you missed too much of the movie, Shay. You should be able to pick up on what’s happening pretty quickly.”

Flash pushed play, the movie starting up again from the point he’d paused it at. The tension in the room was thick and oppressive, but Diana refused to leave. She wasn’t about to back down or run away like a coward. Besides, she wasn’t the one who had betrayed her teammates and endangered the world.

Diana leaned an elbow on the arm of the couch, propping her head up with her fist. She wished that someone else would join them and help diffuse a measure of the uncomfortable animosity that permeated the room. While Shayera had been one of her best friends, Diana wasn’t about to make any effort to rekindle that friendship despite her former friend’s attempts at redemption. Shayera needed to fully prove herself in her eyes and, until she did, Diana was not about to budge from her stand. 

Wally began chattering about the part that Shayera had missed as he stuffed handfuls of popcorn into his mouth. Diana tried to focus on what was playing out on the large screen TV before her, but it was next to impossible. She had too much on her mind between the thief she was trying to catch and her bewildering feelings for Bruce. Adding Shayera into the mix only added to her stress.

She silently prayed for a mission to come up or something that would call her away and save her from this forced bonding time that she wanted no part of. The minutes seemed to drag by as Flash attempted to pull her into one conversation after another with little success, commenting on the action in the movie or how unrealistic a certain stunt move had been.

Finally unable to take it a moment longer, Diana leapt to her feet. “I’m sorry, Wally, but I have too much I have to do right now. I’ll see you later.”

“But, Wondy!” Flash cried, sitting up in a panic and nearly knocking his bowl of popcorn over. “We’re only halfway through the movie.”

“Yah, I have some things that I need to do too,” Shayera decided, glaring at Diana. “Maybe next time, Wally.”

“But…but…” he sputtered in dismay, looking back and forth between the two superheroes. “I’m not going to give up reuniting the terrific trio! We are going to do this again and you both will enjoy it! Do you hear me?”

Diana turned to the left while Shayera abruptly turned the opposite direction of the Amazon warrior, neither of them willing to meet in the middle. Irritated to the point of needing to hit something, Diana stormed around the corner only to plough directly into a muscular frame dressed completely in black.

“Sorry,” she muttered as gauntleted hands automatically moved to grip her shoulders to keep her from falling. It was at that moment that she realized she had run directly into the man who had been occupying her thoughts since she had left the Batcave the day before.

“Easy, Princess,” he rasped darkly, the slits of his cowl narrowing as he took in her annoyed demeanor. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” she snapped.

“Something obviously upset you,” he pointed out, taking in her appearance. He wasn’t the least bit impressed with the Metropolis Meteors sweatshirt that she had on. Clark had no doubt given it to her.

“Flash tried to get Shayera and me to make peace, but it won’t work,” she firmly stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can’t just go back to the way that things used to be between us and act like nothing happened.”

“You know she’s a part of the League again,” he reminded her. “You’re going to have to find a way to get past your differences.”

Diana’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you taking her side now?”

“I never said that,” he countered.

“So whose side are you on?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side,” he maintained with a scowl. “Shayera is back and she’s not going anywhere so the sooner you get over your grudge with her the better.”

“It’s not a grudge,” she ground out with a sneer. “She betrayed the League and the world, helped to nearly destroy us. I’m sorry if that’s not something that I can so easily forgive and forget like you can.”

“She ended up saving us all in the end, Diana,” he shot back, refusing to back down despite her tirade.

“No, you saved us, Bruce,” she hissed, poking him directly in the armored chest a little harder than she probably should have. “You very nearly died because of her and that’s not something I can forgive. If she hadn’t betrayed us, you wouldn’t have been forced into a suicide mission in order to save the world. I...we…would be struggling to find a way to get over your death right now.”

Bruce was stunned by the scope of her anger but more so by the fact that she blamed Shayera for his near-death experience. He knew that she had been quite upset with him for crashing the Watchtower, but he thought she had gotten over it. He had obviously been wrong.

He watched as she visibly shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Diana, I only did what was necessary to save the world.”

“You might not have been forced into such a drastic measure if Shayera hadn’t betrayed us,” she countered, averting her eyes. “You could be dead right now, Bruce. We would’ve had to bury you…to move on without you. That’s not something I can so easily forgive.”

Without thinking, Batman reached out to touch her, his gauntleted hand coming to rest on her shoulder in an effort to reassure her. “I’m not, Princess,” he replied. “I survived. I’m here and I’m perfectly fine.”

“It could’ve been so much worse,” she admitted as she drew a shaky breath, still refusing to meet his intense gaze. She’d revealed far more than she had planned to. He always made her react and feel things that she never anticipated.

“We can’t think about what could have happened or second guess our decisions,” he reminded her as he gently squeezed her shoulder. “We can only act and accept the consequences. Thankfully, I’m still here to annoy the hell out of you.”

Diana couldn’t help but chuckle with his attempt to lighten her mood, her anger diminishing somewhat. “What are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity as she finally met his intense gaze. “I thought you had too much going on in Gotham right now?”

“I do,” he lied, “but I had some upgrades on the security system that had to be taken care of. Not to mention, there are some training droids in dire need of repair because of a certain immortal warrior’s inability to control her anger.”

She seemed to consider his answer for a long moment before finally responding. “I wouldn’t have destroyed them if you hadn’t provoked me in the first place,” she pointed out. “Were you able to find out anymore about those blank business cards?”

“No, nothing more yet,” he revealed. “I still have some more tests to run on them.”

“I was hoping that they would help shed more light on these robberies,” she replied in frustration, biting at her bottom lip.

Something in Batman’s mind seemed to click with her words, an idea taking root. “You might be on to something,” he muttered.

“What?”

Batman took off without an answer, heading straight towards his laboratory on the Watchtower. He could tell that Diana was following him, but paid her no heed. His mind was working overtime now on a possible idea that could break this case wide open for them.

Entering his lab, he went straight towards one of his work tables, opening a drawer and pulling out a lighter. He removed an evidence bag from one of the pouches in his utility bag, setting it down as well. He was mad at himself for not thinking of this from the beginning.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she came to stand beside him. “You aren’t going to set it on fire, are you?”

“No,” he bluntly stated as he carefully took one of the white business cards out of the evidence bag. He held up the business card in one hand, taking the lighter in the other and clicking it on. A flame erupted from the tip as he held the business card up in front of it. “I should have thought of this sooner.”

Diana gasped as red letters began to appear on the white business card the longer Bruce held the flame behind it. “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”

“It’s—” he began.

“Sun Tzu,” Diana finished for him. “I know.”

“You know Sun Tzu?” he asked, startled by the revelation.

“I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading since coming to Man’s World,” she replied. “It’s not like I have places to go or things to do in my free time.”

He felt somewhat guilty with her admission, not realizing that she might have been lonely these last two and a half years. “I guess our thief is a philosopher.”

“What’s the point of playing a game like this?”

“He thinks know no one can catch him,” he replied.

Diana leaned forward, elbows coming to rest on top of the work table as she studied the card. “Like I said—arrogant,” she readily decided.

“Egyptian artifacts appear to be his greatest weakness,” Batman stated.

“I agree, but every time I think that he’s developed a pattern, he does something completely out of character like stealing that sapphire necklace from your friend Veronica Vreeland,” she commented.

Batman looked over at her as he set the lighter down, giving her a hard look. “How did you know that Veronica is my friend?”

Diana rolled her eyes, the corner of her lips curling with amusement. “She’s very wealthy and grew up in Gotham,” she explained. “It’s not a stretch that you two ran around in the same social circles and probably have since you were children. Besides, when I first learned your identity, I did some research on you. There were several newspaper pictures of the two of you at more than one party and charity event.”

A flicker of a smile passed over his face as he slowly nodded his head. “Not bad,” he said. “There’s hope for you yet, Princess.”

Diana couldn’t contain the grin that broke across her face, more than pleased with the praise. While it wasn’t much, it was huge coming from Bruce. “Did I actually get a compliment from the big bad Batman?”

“Don’t get used to it,” he told her, removing the other business card from another evidence bag. “Now, let’s see what this one has to say.”

Placing the lighter behind the card, they watched as letters began to appear. “No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow,” he read out loud. “Great.”

“Euripides,” she murmured, deep in thought. “This just keeps getting stranger.”

“Hopefully, he’ll make an appearance at the Gotham Museum unveiling of the newly uncovered Egyptian artifacts,” he replied.

“And we’ll be ready if he does,” she agreed.

“Diana…” he began, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t even bother telling me that I can’t go,” she retorted. “I’m in on this with you whether you like it or not.”

“I don’t,” he bit out. “You know I work better alone, Princess.”

“Well, I think it’s time that you start learning to work with others,” she decided. “Besides, you’re little defense of working better alone is not true. We’ve proven to be a very formidable team on countless missions we’ve been on together.”

“That’s different,” he maintained without making eye contact. His focus was solely on the mysterious business cards.

Diana leaned her back against the edge of the work table, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed. “I don’t see any difference.”

“Missions to defeat an enemy are different than doing a full-fledged investigation into tracking down a thief,” he claimed.

Her frown deepened as she studied him, wishing that he would at least look at her when she talked to him. “I see no difference,” she insisted. “If we work well in League missions, it will translate well into working together in many other ways.”

As much as Bruce wanted to miss it, he knew her words could be taken in more than one way. It was something that he had admittedly considered as well, but he refused to dwell on it at that moment or even comment on it at this point.

“I still don’t like it,” he stated.

“I’m sure you don’t, but I’m not going anywhere, Bruce,” she firmly said. “The sooner you accept it the easier it will be for both of us.”

“Working with me is never easy, Princess,” he told her with a smirk. “Just be prepared for the worst.”

Diana chuckled softly, causing Bruce to look up at her. “I believe you’ll find you’ve met your match in me,” she said before walking out, leaving him all alone.

“I have no doubt about that,” Bruce muttered to himself with a sigh.

Unfortunately, his solitude didn’t last long, further prickling his annoyance. “Batman, you’re here,” Superman greeted him as he entered the lab. “It’s good to see you back on the Watchtower again.”

“What do you want?” Batman demanded to know as he began to run another test on the calling card the thief had left behind.

Superman brushed off his brusque demeanor, knowing that it was just Bruce being Bruce. The fact that he was here at all spoke volumes. Things were finally beginning to get back to normal around here. “I heard you were on the ‘Tower and came to see how things were going.”

“I’m busy,” he stated. “That’s how things are going.”

Superman appraised him for a long moment, considering his words. “I passed Diana,” he commented. “She said that you two were working together to track down our mysterious thief.”

Batman bristled with his words. Squaring his shoulders, he straightened up and turned to fully face him. “She thinks she’s working with me,” he told him. “I’m working alone.”

Clark gave him a disapproving look that told him he was in for a lecture. “Bruce, you need to let Diana help you,” he began. “She’s been working very hard on trying to find this thief. You can’t just shove her aside now that the thief has stuck in Gotham.”

Bruce crossed his arms against his bat emblem, giving Clark a dark glower. “I told her I could handle it, but she seems to think that she needs to help me. I don’t need help.”

“For once in your life, let her in…let her help you,” Superman beseeched him.

While he knew that it would take a miracle of grand proportions, Clark was determined to help his two best friends find happiness with each other. Now that it had been pointed out to him by GL and Flash, it was painfully obvious what was brewing between the two heroes. After his initial shock, it had taken a little time for him to adjust to the idea of Bruce and Diana as a couple, but now he could see nothing but that outcome.

“You better than anyone else ought to know why I can’t let her in, Clark,” he snapped.

“You’ve let others in,” Clark pointed out. “Dick, Jason, Barbara, Tim, Alfred, Leslie, Selina…need I go on?”

“Yes and look what happened to them,” he growled.

“Even though Jason died, they have all benefited from knowing you,” Clark countered. “I’m sorry, Bruce, but you have done absolutely nothing to convince me or anyone else that you’re a horrible monster or that you’re some dark void that sucks all the good and light out of the world.”

“You just don’t understand,” Bruce gritted the words out. 

His gauntleted hands were placed firmly on the work table with his head bowed in angry frustration. Why couldn’t Clark see that it wasn’t easy for him to keep Diana at arms’ length…to try to shut off these feelings for her that refused to obey him? He wanted nothing more than to have a life with her, but it was far too dangerous.

“Then explain it to me,” Clark demanded, standing his ground and refusing to back down. “Does this have something to do with your trip to the future?”

“I don’t have time for this,” he stated, his patience finally running out. “I’ve got work to do.”

Before Clark could press him further, his commlink went off. “J’onn to Superman.”

“Go ahead, J’onn,” he responded.

“You’re needed in Metropolis,” he informed him. “Atomic Skull and Livewire are running rampant.”

“On my way,” Superman confirmed, turning his attention to his friend. “I’ve got to run. Look, just think about what I said. No one deserves to be happy more than you, Bruce.”

Batman stood silently at his work desk long after Superman had left, staring at the evidence lying before him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to bury the things that Clark had said. His words kept mingling with Barbara’s, filtering through his mind over and over again.

His life would’ve been so much easier if he’d just been strong enough not to fall in love with the Princess of the Amazons.

**_Gotham; September 24th, 03:37 EST_ **

He drove down the dark, winding road, following the directions on his GPS. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel of his rental car, his anticipation growing as he drew closer to his destination. He was anxious to get a glimpse of the famous home and to scope it out as best he could.

He had done considerable research and had learned that it had an extensive security system, one that was quite advanced. He couldn’t help wondering why. There had to be something in there of great value that required such a high-tech system.

His mind wandered aimlessly as he thought about what he already knew that he possessed. His curiosity was definitely piqued as to what was being housed inside there, the treasures that were no doubt on display that he couldn’t wait to get his hands on.

While he had his favorite articles that he preferred to steal, he wasn’t beyond broadening his horizon or picking up some unique finds along the way. There would always be a buyer out there looking for special relics and jewels. Besides, it was the thrill of the hunt, the sweet rush of victory that always came with escaping with his prize.

Stealing wasn’t about the money that he could get for the countless treasures that he’d stolen over the years. Heaven knew that he had enough money to live a life of leisure and comfort until the day he drew his last breath. For him, it was the risk…the danger as well as his personal reasons for stealing the things that mattered to him. 

He pulled the car off the road near a heavily wooded area to help conceal his presence. Wayne Manor was still about a mile away or so, but he wanted to go the rest of the way on foot in order to avoid any sort of detection by the security system.

There had to be some priceless pieces being kept there. Either that or Bruce Wayne had a secret that he didn’t want anyone to find out about. He was more than anxious to discover what that secret was or get his hands on the valuable treasures hidden inside.

Pulling his black mask over his face, he silently exited the car, his equipment carefully stowed away in his bag. He glanced up at the night sky, thankful for the thick cover the clouds provided. At the same time, it also made visibility practically non-existent.

He put his night vision goggles on allowing himself a moment for his eyes to adjust before proceeding on through the dense foliage. He carefully navigated around thorny bushes and over protruding tree roots, wanting to keep the area as undisturbed as possible.

He wanted no trace of evidence of his presence to be left behind. It made it that much harder to connect him to any crimes especially if no one caught sight of him. The longer that he remained an enigma, the longer he could continue his hobby.

He paused to crouch beside a large tree trunk, one that was likely a couple hundred years old or more. He glanced down at his monitor on his wrist to check his vital readings. Heart rate sixty, respirations twelve, body temperature ninety-seven degrees.

He didn’t know why he bothered checking his vitals every time he went out on a job. He’d learned to master his bodily responses to stress, fear, or any other useless emotion that only got in the way a long time ago. He supposed it was just pride now that had him checking or maybe habit. Regardless, Aadarsh would be proud of him.

His eyes softened some as he thought of his Guru Aadarsh. He found he missed his old friend. Memories of his time spent in Nepal flooded his mind. He only allowed himself to indulge in the memories for a brief moment before pushing them away and burying them deep.

With the fond memories, heartache and anger was resurrected along with it—the screams…the crash…the constant blare of the horn…the blood. There was just so much blood. It was all over…splashes of bright red blood everywhere.

He squeezed his eyes closed against the horrifying memories that assaulted him. He refused to relive that night again. He did it enough every night in his dreams. He wore the events of that night like a second skin that he couldn’t shed no matter how hard he tried.

He didn’t want to be reminded of the past. He only wanted to focus on his future and getting everything that he deserved in life. Having everything loved in life stripped away tended to make a person even more obsessed with seeing that future come true.

He hardened his heart against the emotional pain that attempted to sear through him like a branding iron. He would not fall victim to those emotions again. He hardened his gaze into a stony glare as he spotted the manor sitting silently on the hillside like a silent sentinel standing guard over the expansive property.

It was nothing but a black shadow against the night sky, the sound of water breaking against the stony shore filling the air and creating an eerie companion to his mission tonight. The grounds almost seemed haunted in a way, the ghosts of the past clinging to the property.

He’d read all about Bruce Wayne and how he’d lost his parents in that brutal attack in an alley outside of a movie theater. He identified all too well with the billionaire businessman who was a well-known womanizer and party boy. It was almost a mirror image of his own life.

He silently continued to draw closer, wondering how much further he could go before the occupants were alerted to his presence. Right now, he just wanted to scout out the landscape, make certain there were no dogs or other things that could deter him in his mission.

He crept closer with stealthy ease, pausing every few feet to listen for any alarms or dogs. The night was still…so very quiet. He felt as if there were eyes on him, watching his every move, but he’d detected no security cameras yet.

He felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickle as he surveyed the area. He didn’t have a good feeling about this at all, his instincts telling him he needed to leave. Still, he wanted to get some pictures that he could study much closer when he returned to the comfort and safety of his hotel suite.

Setting his bag down, he took out the long distance lens for his camera. He began to take several pictures, capturing images of the manor itself as well as the horse stables, a couple of out buildings, and an extravagant garden that no doubt extended far beyond his point of view.

His head turned slightly as the sound of a car in the distance caught his attention. He decided that he’d pushed his luck as far as he dared to for one night. He quickly put his things away before retreating back to his car. He wasn’t certain where the car he’d heard went, but its engine could no longer be heard. Still, he wasn’t going to hang around here only to be caught.

He had big plans for Gotham, starting tomorrow night at the museum gala.

**_Batcave; September 24th; 4:24 EST_ **

Bruce exited the Batmobile, immediately reaching up and pulling his cowl back. It had been a rough night that had started off with a double homicide only to be followed up by a rape and murder. To say it had been an emotional night would have been an understatement. Even as hardened as he was to the things that happened in Gotham, there were nights like these that still hit him hard.

He was having a very hard time getting images of the raped woman out of his mind. She had looked similar to Diana, but she hadn’t possessed the rare beauty that could only be found in the Amazon princess. There was just a certain light that Diana carried that no one could ever duplicate or replicate.

He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the images. He could still see her cold gaze staring up at him, the vivid blueness of her eyes devoid of life. Her black hair had fanned out around her like any inky pool. It had made him nauseated to find her there, her clothes ripped off her body. She’d been discarded like she hadn’t mattered at all.

It had awakened a need in him to see Diana, to make sure she was all right. He knew that she was fine, but he couldn’t seem to temper the need to see her for himself at that moment. The things he’d learned from his future self only seemed to fuel that fear even more.

_“Don’t make the same mistakes I did with Diana…you’ll regret it for the rest of your life…”_

Shoving aside the words of his elder self, Bruce began to pull up the security feed on the Watchtower when he noticed that his own security system had been tripped. There was someone on his property. He ripped off his gauntlets with a curse, tossing them aside with an angry scowl as he quickly brought up the security camera on the grounds as well as all motion detectors. 

He caught a brief glimpse of some sort of movement in the woods that separated the west end of the property from the main road. He slowly scrolled through the recorded footage, enlarging the picture to find someone there with a telescopic lens taking pictures.

He sat back in his chair with a glower on his face. It was probably just more paparazzi trying to find out why he’d been absent from the social scene for the last several weeks. He needed go out there to make sure there was nothing more going on in the woods, but hopefully he could allay everyone’s suspicions tomorrow night at the museum gala.

Thinking of the special gala made him think of Diana all over again. He needed to make a few calls tomorrow to make certain that tomorrow night’s event went as planned without any interruptions. He knew that she would be livid with him if she found out, but he knew it was for the best. She wouldn’t see it that way, but it was of no consequence to him. This was the way that it had to be.

Getting up to change his clothes before going out to the woods, he couldn’t help the apprehension that still clung to him after the night’s events with the murder-rape of that woman. He was certain that it would follow him into his sleep. He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration, wishing for a different outcome. 

With any luck, maybe Diana would visit him in his dreams tonight instead.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**_Watchtower; September 25th, 16:40 EST_ **

“There,” Diana muttered to herself as she stood back to admire her handiwork. Her hands found her hips as she tilted her head to the side. “That should be it, J’onn.”

“Thank you, Diana,” he stoically replied as he looked up from his post at his computer in the Monitor Womb. “I’m sorry that you had to do so much work on your day off.”

“It’s no problem,” she reassured him as she tested the heavy metal floor tile one more time to make sure it was securely attached.

“I’m uncertain how so many floor tiles were damaged,” he confessed. “I came in this afternoon to find a list of repairs that Batman had wanted taken care of before Monday.”

“There’s always something happening around here,” she told him, pulling her hair back behind her shoulder. “I don’t mind, though. I didn’t have anything going on today and it was definitely something that needed taken care of before someone got hurt.”

“I’m sure you would have much rather preferred relaxing or enjoying your training exercises instead of doing repairs on the Watchtower,” he said with a frown.

“Well, it’ll make the list that much shorter for the civilian repair crew on Monday,” she decided, her raven brow furrowing. “Besides, some of these repairs took a lot of heavy lifting. Someone with Meta strength was going to have to assist the repair team anyway.”

“Well, I still appreciate the help,” he maintained.

Diana glanced at the digital clock on the wall, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “It’s getting late. I need to start getting ready for the museum ball in Gotham tonight.”

The Martian Manhunter stared at her for a long moment as if sensing something more in her statement, a newly realized emotion attempting to be concealed underneath it all, but he knew. “Enjoy yourself, Diana,” he evenly told her with a slight upturn of the corner of his lips.

“Thanks, J’onn,” she replied as she headed towards the door.

J’onn smiled to himself as he shook his head in mild amusement. “Humans,” he murmured to himself.

He couldn’t help wondering what had taken the Amazon princess so long to finally realize what had been there all along. He’d actually seen sparks of it when the Dark Knight and Amazon warrior first met each other. It had been a slow and steady burn since then, gradually growing stronger and brighter.

Now, it seemed that things might actually progress past the simple yet powerful attraction they shared. If the stubborn Batman thought that he stood a chance against the equally obstinate and indomitable Amazon, he was going to learn otherwise. He had a feeling it would only be a matter of time before she crashed her way through his defensive layers.

Turning his attention back to monitor duty, he barely had a chance to sense his impending arrival before he was actually standing right beside him. “Hey, J’onn,” Flash greeted him. “Have you seen Wondy?”

“She just left to return to her quarters,” he informed him. “Why do you need her?”

“Batman wants us to work on reviewing all the mission accident reports for the last six months and prepare a report for the Founders’ meeting tomorrow afternoon,” he explained.

J’onn lips twisted into a smirk…or as close to one as J’onn ever made. He now understood what Batman was up to. “She is technically off duty today,” he reminded him. “Besides, she’s getting ready for an event in Gotham tonight.”

Flash’s shoulder sunk. “Oh, man, I have to work tomorrow,” he whined. “We won’t have any other time to work on it before the meeting in the afternoon.”

“You can ask her, but I highly doubt that she will stay to work on it,” he warned him as he punched some buttons to pull up different satellite views of various cities across the world. “You should probably ask someone else to assist you on the project.”

“Yah, but Bats insisted that Wondy and I work on it together,” he complained, folding his arms across his chest like a petulant child. “He even threatened to put me on monitor duty every night for a month straight if I didn’t get Wondy to help me on it and have it ready to present tomorrow.”

“I suggest you find her soon then,” he told him. “You might be able to get some of it done before she leaves.”

“Thanks, J’onn,” Flash replied with a sigh of relief before taking off like a burst of wind.

Flash sped through the halls of the Watchtower at top speed, desperation rising with every second that passed by. If he didn’t find Wonder Woman and talk her into helping him on the reports, then he could kiss his dating life goodbye. The thought caused his legs to move even faster with a burst of determination.

He turned a corner, flying past Diana who was talking to Green Lantern. Realization hit him like a brick wall, forcing him to backpedal to the person he had been searching for. “Wondy!” he cried. “I found you.”

Diana turned to look at him, surprise clearly written on her face. “What is it?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes!” he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. “We have work to do tonight.”

Diana shook her head, a smile breaking across her face. “I have plans tonight. I’m going to Gotham for a museum unveiling.”

“You can’t,” Flash stated, falling to his knees before her. He clasped his hands before him as if in beseeching prayer, holding them up to her. “Please, Wondy! Stay for me.”

“No way,” John interjected. “She and I have work to do.”

“What?” Wally cried in shock. “You don’t understand. Bats told me he wanted Wondy and me to review all the mission accident reports for the last six months and present our findings at the Founders’ meeting tomorrow afternoon.”

“Well, I need her help replacing some damaged solar panels on the Watchtower,” John informed him. “He said there’s a meteor shower headed our way in the next couple of days. He wants to make certain the Watchtower is in perfect shape to withstand it.”

Diana looked from one friend to the other, her gaze narrowing dangerously as realization washed through her. “Did he now?” she muttered more to herself than them.

“If she doesn’t help me with these reports, Bats is going to make me do monitor duty every night for the next month,” Flash pleaded. “I’ll never see Linda again.”

“He promised me tickets to a play and dinner at an expensive restaurant in New York City for my two month anniversary with Vixen if I got Diana to help me with the panels tonight,” the former Marine revealed with a scowl.

Diana’s fingers curled into tight fists as she attempted to keep her anger with the vigilante at bay, but it was near impossible. He was doing everything in his power to make sure that she never made it to the gala tonight in Gotham. Well, he was going to learn the hard way just who he was actually dealing with.

“It’s okay, gentlemen,” Diana said as she pulled Wally up onto his feet. “John, I’ll help you with the panels. It shouldn’t take more than an hour if we hurry.”

“But what about me?” Wally whined.

“Wally, we’ll work on the accident forms tonight as soon as I get back,” she reassured him. “Whatever we don’t get done tonight, I’ll finish up tomorrow.”

“Wondy, you’re the best!” Flash cried, pulling her into a hug.

“Thanks, Diana,” John said, relieved. “I promise we’ll hurry. If you can just help me get them started, I can finish it myself. I just need some muscle to hold them in place while I seal them.”

“And I’ll get started on the reports while you’re gone,” Flash decided. “That way we won’t have too much to do when you get back.”

“All right…let’s go,” she replied with a smile that disguised her frustration. She was more than anxious to see the look on Bruce’s face when she walked into that museum tonight.

**_Gotham Museum; September 25th, 19:26 EST_ **

Bruce pretended to sip his glass of champagne, his blue-eyed gaze carefully surveying the scene before him. The museum ball was a huge hit if the room crowded with Gotham’s richest was any indication. He had a feeling that his thief was somewhere here, mingling and rubbing elbows with the very people he stole from.

He ground his teeth as he remembered how upset Ronnie had been the night her mother’s antique necklace had been stolen. She had been so heartbroken, tears dripping from her face. It had been more than difficult not to comfort her, but it had been impossible as Batman without risking his secret identity.

Now, he had a chance to get it back for her and he wasn’t going to let her down.

As he surreptitiously scanned the room again, he felt himself relax somewhat. There was no sign of Diana anywhere which meant that his plan had worked. His lips twitched in amusement as he nodded to a blond making eyes at him at the bar, giving her his best playboy leer as his eyes roamed over her curves.

She blushed as she coyly dipped her head; feigning innocence that Bruce knew was definitely not there. She was anything but innocent. She’d been trying to get a date with him for months now, but he’d managed to avoid her subtle attempts thus far. He knew if he was going to keep up his womanizing image he was going to have to bite the bullet and go out with her.

It wasn’t that she was unattractive. She was actually quite attractive. Years ago, he might have been interested in actually dating her, but not since a certain raven-haired Amazon had entered his life. Now he found himself comparing every woman he met to her and it was seriously jeopardizing his dating life.

Bruce mentally shook himself. He needed to get his head in the game or risk raising more suspicions about him. He couldn’t afford to draw any more attention to himself than had already been generated with his long absence from the social scene.

“Bruce!”

He turned at the sound of his name to see Randall Montgomery coming towards him. “How’s it going, Randy?” he asked, extending his hand.

“Great,” Ron replied as he shook his hand. “Haven’t seen you around these things for a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” Bruce told him with a grin as he wiggled his eyebrows.

A hearty laugh escaped as Randy clapped Bruce on the back. “You and your women,” he said. “Have you ever thought about finding a respectable woman and settling down…having a son to carry on the Wayne name?”

Just as Bruce opened his mouth to reply, he caught sight of a raven-haired goddess entering the room. It was as if the entire museum grew brighter with her appearance, people parting like a sea to allow her passage. His jaw dropped as he saw what she was wearing. She was dazzling in a royal blue gown that was a definite nod to her heritage, her long raven tresses pulled up into a twist.

It wasn’t until Randy put his fingers under Bruce’s jaw and closed his mouth for him did he realize that he was staring at her like a love struck teen-aged boy. “Only you, Bruce…only you would think you stood a chance with Wonder Woman,” he told him.

Bruce managed to recover from his shock and desire as he turned to look at Randy. “Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?” he replied with a smirk.

“Go get her, tiger,” Randy encouraged him, giving him a friendly push in her direction. “Just don’t come crying to me when she throws you through a wall.”

Bruce straightened his bowtie as if trying to appear to muster his courage to approach her when in reality he was thinking of possible ways that he could torture Wally and John for not keeping her on the Watchtower like they were supposed to have done. He should’ve known they wouldn’t come through for him.

He watched her like a hawk as she moved with a certain grace and confidence that only she could possess or radiate. She smiled politely as she took a glass of champagne that a waiter offered her. She took a sip, her cobalt blue eyes capturing everything that was going on around her while appearing completely at ease. He knew differently though. She was on the hunt just like he was.

It caused a shiver to race up his spine as Diana’s predatory gaze fell on him, his breath hitching in response. He didn’t bother trying to temper the flutter that currently occupied his stomach or the way he flushed inside against his will. It was something that she had done to him since first he’d met her and he hated it. He detested the way she always made him react to her. It left him reeling on the inside.

The corners of her lips curled seductively as she drank the last of her champagne, looking all the world like the cat that ate the cannery. In that singular look, he understood that she knew what he’d been up to in trying to keep her from coming here tonight and that he’d failed miserably. Losing was something that he was unaccustomed to.

She paused to place the empty glass on a nearby tray before slowly making her way towards him. The sensual way she walked was truly mesmerizing him, the graceful sway of her hips tantalizing. He railed against the urge to loosen his bowtie that was suddenly choking him, the rush of warmth that coursed through him.

“Bruce, there you are.”

Recovering quickly, he smiled lecherously as he turned his attention to his date, her arm slipping through his. “Selina,” he greeted her. “Where have you been?”

“Just checking out the merchandise…I mean artifacts,” she purred as she sensually pressed her body against his side.

“I’m sure you were,” he uttered, his jaw clenching minutely.

Bruce looked up at that moment to notice an icy look pass over Diana’s face before turning to anger. She looked as if she was silently willing Selina to combust right there on the spot. She turned away from her presence course towards him, choosing rather to speak with Jake Benham, much to Bruce’s dismay. The man was a horrible letch.

“Bruce, you grind your teeth any harder and they’re going to crack,” Selina whispered in his ear.

“I am not,” he snapped, his playboy persona momentarily forgotten.

“Let’s just say if looks could kill…” she replied, allowing her voice to trail off. There was no need to finish the sentence. She needed to get a hold of her own jealousy at that moment. “So…you and the Amazon? Never saw that coming.”

“There is no ‘us’,” he bit out.

“The look on your face when she walked in says otherwise,” she countered, watching as Diana was led to the dance floor by a man.

“There is nothing going on between us so just drop it, Selina,” he warned her with a sharp edge to his voice.

Selina shrugged nonchalantly, but the sting of his adamant denial was unmistakable. He could deny it all he wanted, but it was plainly obvious had strong feelings for his teammate. Even when they had been together, Bruce never looked at her the way that he looked at the Amazon princess.

“Let’s dance then,” she suggested, taking him by the hand and dragging him out onto the dance floor.

Bruce tried to put a tight leash on his feelings as he took Selina into his arms, knowing there were eyes on him. He couldn’t afford to arouse any more suspicions right now. Plastering on a playboy grin, he allowed his hand to slowly travel down Selina’s spine to settle low on her back before pulling her in closer to him.

Selina went willingly, missing the feel of being in his strong arms like this and in his bed. She knew in her heart this was all for show tonight, but she couldn’t deny herself this little moment of indulgence as he held her close to him. Her eyes wandered over to where Diana was dancing with some man that obviously raised Bruce’s hackles. She could feel the tension in his body building as the man leaned in close to whisper something in Diana’s ear, causing the Amazon to laugh as his hand travelled dangerously south towards her hip.

Diana glanced over at Bruce and Selina dancing to find Bruce glaring daggers at her. She smiled in response, turning her attention back to her dance partner. She felt this was entirely ridiculous. They didn’t have time to be playing games like this when there was a possible thief in the room.

She grew rigid as Selina flashed her a cocky smirk before pulling Bruce into a passionate kiss which he fully returned, his hand settling on her bottom and squeezing her. Deciding she’d had enough, she excused herself from her dance partner, choosing rather to find the thief so she could leave than play such silly games with Bruce. She had come here to find a thief, not try to make Bruce jealous.

Leaving the dance floor, she bumped into a tall man with arresting good looks. “Excuse me, miss,” he apologized with a British accent.

“Entirely my fault,” she countered with a faint blush. “I wasn’t look where I was going.”

“It was my pleasure to bump into such a beautiful woman as you,” he replied. “May I have this dance?”

“Of course,” she readily decided, allowing him to take her hand in his and lead her back onto the dance floor. “So what brings you to Gotham?”

“I’m actually here on business, but I couldn’t miss such an impressive unveiling of Egyptian treasures as this tonight,” he revealed with a charming smile.

“What is it that you do for business?” she asked, finding herself mesmerized by the man with honey colored hair and chestnut brown eyes.

“I’m actually an antiques dealer,” he revealed.

Before Diana could respond, Bruce interrupted their dance. “May I cut in?”

“No,” Diana adamantly stated at the same time as her dance partner answered in the affirmative.

“It was a pleasure dancing with such an exquisite woman,” he told her. “Perhaps we’ll meet again some time.”

“Thank you,” Diana murmured as the handsome man bowed to her before leaving. She turned a furious glare at the man who was already taking her into his arms and pulling her close to him. “What in Hera are you doing?” she hissed.

“Dancing with the most beautiful woman here,” Bruce replied with a smirk, but the heat of his eyes revealed something else…something far darker and more primal. “Who was that you were dancing with?”

“I don’t know,” she snapped. “You cut in before I could get a chance to find out his name.”

“He’s from England,” Bruce noted as he turned her in his arms.

“I know.” 

“He might be our thief.”

“Maybe, but it’s too early to tell,” she decided as she surreptitiously scanned the crowd for him. “He hasn’t exactly done anything to deserve our suspicions besides being from England.”

“I don’t like him at all,” Bruce readily decided.

“You don’t like anyone, Bruce,” she countered with a cutting edge to her voice.

His piercing blue eyes met hers with an openness that startled her, a sincerity that made her take pause. “That’s not true, Diana,” he softly said, holding her gaze a heartbeat longer than necessary before finally looking away. He spotted Selina talking to a business acquaintance of his, no doubt hoping to strike it rich.

Diana followed his gaze, misreading what she was witnessing. “Oh, yes…the cat,” she snapped. “I forgot about her. I didn’t realize that the two of you were a thing again.”

Bruce scowled as he met Diana’s glare head-on. “We are not a thing,” he steadfastly claimed. “She’s here to help me find the thief—nothing more.”

“I thought that was my job,” she murmured, clearly angered by his attempts to keep her on the Watchtower.

“I told you I didn’t want you here tonight.”

“First, I’m not one of your protégés that you can just order me around and expect me to obey,” she stated in no uncertain terms. “Secondly, you told me you work better alone and yet you bring Selina with you tonight. Which is it, Bruce? You work better alone as long as it’s with her and not me?”

Bruce nearly flinched under the penetrating heat of the fiery blue glare she was directing at him, but he kept his expression playful despite the fury blazing inside of him. This damn woman always managed to get under his skin like no one else he’d ever met, never listening to him and never buying the bull he dished out.

Why didn’t she just back down or run away from his withering gaze and cutting words like everyone else did?

In his heart, he knew the answer. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever known or met before. Instead of backing away, she always chose to go toe-to-toe with him, taking him head-on with a fierce tenacity and resolve that rivaled his own in every way. It was infuriating to say the least.

“It’s not like that,” he evenly stated as he averted his eyes. It was becoming harder and harder to keep his playboy veneer firmly in place with the heated assault his emotions were waging on him, all of them fueled by her. “You wouldn’t understand.”

The feel of firm yet gentle fingers against his jaw forced him to meet her angry gaze. “Explain it to me.”

He didn’t get a chance to discuss it with her as the lights abruptly went out in the museum, everyone gasping in response to the unexpected darkness and preparing for the worst. This was Gotham after all. Bruce instinctively pulled her flush against him, his arms instinctively tightening around her as he looked around to find the source of the trouble.

Diana instantly noticed how their bodies seem to fit perfectly together as if made for one another. She tamped down on the flush that was rising within her, focusing instead on the danger at hand instead of the muscular body pressing into her. The warrior swiftly pushed the woman aside as she forced herself to pull out of his embrace.

Bruce was reluctant to release his hold on her for reasons that he didn’t want to dwell on right now. His fingers wrapped around the cool metal of her bracer, tightening his grip on her to keep her from bolting into action too soon. They didn’t want to spook their thief if he was indeed here. His other hand discreetly tapped his commlink, sending a signal to his team to let them know they needed to be on alert.

A growing wave of murmurs and grumbling spread through the room, everyone confused as to what was happening. The director of the museum took charge, trying to keep everyone calm. “Please, everyone stay right where you are,” he said into a microphone. “I’m sure it’s a minor problem that will be corrected here soon.”

Jerking her arm free from Bruce’s grasp, Diana started to make her way towards the Egyptian artifacts, needing to make sure that they were safe. Guards were already tightening ranks around the various displays in order to protect them, on guard against any trouble.

With a flicker, the lights came back on to the great relief of everyone present. Being a resident of Gotham, they knew all too well what could happen when the lights went out at an event like this. It usually meant that the likes of the Joker or Two-Face were going to making an appearance. Thankfully, that didn’t appear to be the case tonight.

Reaching the large display, she was met by a man who seemed to be as concerned as she was about the treasure. “What are you doing?” Diana demanded to know, warily watching the stranger that was standing suspiciously close to the displays with unmistakable concern.

“I was just making certain that nothing was taken,” he replied with a definite British accent.

Diana appraised him for a moment, noting his appearance in case they would need to track him down later. He was a man of average height with brown hair and eyes, appearing to be in his early forties. There was nothing about him that particularly stood out to her or caused him to stand out from anyone else that she’d met tonight.

“Why do you have such an interest in these artifacts?” she questioned him, causing him to stiffen with indignation.

“I’m the curator of London’s British Museum,” he told her with a sniff of resentment at being questioned. “We are to receive these artifacts next month after being displayed here in Gotham.”

Diana’s eyes narrowed, not liking the story that he was telling her, but she had no way to disprove it yet. “What’s your name?”

He glared in annoyance at her, clearly not appreciating being badgered like this. “I am Ewan Hale and I assure you that I have every right to be concerned about this treasure.”

“Let’s just make sure nothing was taken,” she told him as she quickly moved from one display to another, keeping a close eye on the man.

Checking a display of canopic jars that had been found in a sarcophagus, Diana heard a sharp intake of air, causing her to look up. She found Ewan Hale fanning himself, his face pale as he turned horrified eyes on her. “They’re gone,” he muttered in shock. “They’re not here.”

“What was taken?” she asked.

“Several rare arm bands adorned with emeralds and lapis lazuli as well as an ornate collar necklace from a very early dynasty,” he informed her. “Nothing quite like these have ever been discovered in such pristine condition making them most rare.”

Diana immediately turned to one of the guards, grabbing him by the arm and taking him by complete surprise. “Lock down the museum now and contact the police,” she ordered him. “Someone stole objects from the Egyptian display.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a firm nod, taking off to report to his superior.

She looked around for Bruce, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He probably slipped away so he could change into his uniform and return as Batman. Either that or he’d already figureded out who the thief was and took off after him. The thought only caused her anger to burn hotter.

If he purposefully ditched her to handle the police and the press while he searched for the thief, she was going to throttle him. She quickly scanned the room for Selina as well, wondering if she had disappeared with Bruce or if she was still here perusing the countless treasures that had no doubt captured her attention.

There was no sign of either of them anywhere. 

With a Themysciran curse under her breath, she turned her attention back to the crime scene and a security guard standing nearest to her. “Get all of these people moved to the other side of the museum so they can be searched and questioned when the police arrive.”

“But…but…” he lamely stuttered, his forehead creasing as he looked about for the head of security.

“Do it!” she ordered him with a growl that nearly made him leap out of his skin. He quickly obeyed, grabbing other guards to help him start moving the guests.

“Wonder Woman! You’re still here!”

Diana turned to find an older man with graying hair dressed in a tux coming straight towards her. He appeared completely ashen as he pulled out his handkerchief to dap the perspiration forming on his brow. His expression revealed his despair with the news.

“And you are?” she asked, arching a raven eyebrow as she stared at him expectantly. She didn’t have time for conversation right now. She had a thief to catch, one that she couldn’t wait to get her hands on.

“I’m Robert Stringfield,” he introduced himself. “I’m head of security for the museum. I’m so glad you’re here. The police have been contacted and are on their way.”

“I have your security guards guiding all the guests to the other side of the museum away from the displays,” she revealed, her lips pursing as she moved to stand next to Ewan Hale who had not recovered an ounce of the color that had drained from his face.

“Thank you,” Robert replied. “The museum has been completely locked down. No one will get in or out until the police have arrived.”

Ignoring the head of security, she focused instead on finding the thief among the crowds before he escaped. He was proving to be a bigger enigma than she had first believed. The more he stole the more perplexing this whole case became. She couldn’t help wondering if he had a partner that they hadn’t considered. She had always assumed that he was working alone, but now she wondered if that had been a false assumption on her part.

She’d have to talk to Bruce about it when she saw him again. Of course, she had no idea when that would be at this point. He could show up here as Batman at any given moment, but she wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he stumbled out of one of the bathrooms at the museum with Selina in his arms and lipstick all over his face to play up his persona.

Her frown deepened with the thought of him off somewhere with Selina. Diana knew she had no right to be jealous. They were only teammates…friends. At the same time, she couldn’t deny the intensity of the abhorrent feelings churning inside of her or the fact that she had these newly discovered feelings for him. In truth, they weren’t necessarily newly discovered so much as finally realized.

“Wonder Woman!”

Diana looked up to find an older man coming towards her wearing a tan trench coat. She had a feeling this was Commissioner Gordon. She’d heard Bruce speak quite highly of him a couple of times, but knew very little about the man past that.

“You must be Commissioner Gordon,” she greeted him with a grim smile as she stretched out her hand to him.

He shook it firmly, obviously sharing in her frustration and anger with the situation. “It’s a good thing that you were here tonight,” he told her as he pulled a notepad from his trench coat pocket.

Diana folded her arms against her chest as if to ward off a shiver, but it wasn’t from being cold. It was anger over the fact that the thief had been right here under their noses and she hadn’t been able to stop it. It inflamed her fury and stung her Amazonian pride far more than she cared to admit.

She swore to herself that it wouldn’t happen again.

“I’m afraid I didn’t prove to be very helpful, Commissioner,” she replied with a dark frown. “The thief took some of the artifacts from the newly uncovered Egyptian collection.”

“Well, we have the entire museum locked down and surrounded,” he revealed. “We’ll catch whoever it is that did this.”

Diana walked over to the display that had been compromised, noticing that Ewan Hale was nowhere to be found. She felt the overwhelming desire to hit something becoming harder and harder to ignore. “This is evidently the display that the thief was fixated on,” she told him as she studied it for herself.

She took note of each exquisite piece of jewelry that hadn’t been taken from the display, wondering why certain pieces had been left behind. Had he stolen as much as he dared to take in such a short period of time or was there some significance behind the pieces he had taken?

Just as she was beginning to wonder if this was the same thief that she and Bruce had been tracking, she spotted the corner of something white peeking out from behind a pharaoh's face mask. With narrowed eyes, she carefully removed the white calling card the thief had left behind.

He had struck again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**_Gotham; September 26th, 00:36 EST_ **

Batman stood on the rooftop across from the Gotham Museum, his scrutinizing gaze taking in the chaotic scene below him. He was furious that the thief had been there like they had predicted and yet they’d been unable to stop him.

As soon as Diana had pulled free from his hold on her, he’d quickly tracked down Selina. With his former lover in tow, they had begun a methodical search for the thief inside of the museum while Robin and Batgirl had arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, neither he nor Selina had been able to find any sign of the man. It was as if he’d just disappeared out of thin air.

He was positive that the thief hadn’t stayed with the other guests. He would’ve been caught red-handed with the goods and his reign of thievery would’ve been over. He had definitely made his escape, but it remained to be seen what that escape route had actually been.

His gauntlets creaked as he curled his fingers, his jaw set like a steel trap. He wasn’t certain what made him the most furious—the thief stealing right under his nose or the effect that Diana had on him that he just couldn’t seem to control no matter how hard he tried.

He’d mastered his body’s responses to all sorts of stimuli over the years, but a few fleeting moments of having Diana in his arms had practically rendered him completely at her mercy. He hated how she could strip him of all commonsense and logic with the simple press of her perfect body against him or her mesmerizing scent that always stirred things within him. It was always a desire for something that he couldn’t have with her no matter how badly he wanted it to be different between them.

“Report,” he growled without bothering to turn around. 

He already knew that they hadn’t been able to find much in the way of clues. Their ever elusive thief never left them more than he wanted them to have…which was nothing more than his calling card. It was a game with him, one that Batman was resolved to win in the end.

Batgirl sighed, not really happy with the situation either. “We didn’t get anything,” she revealed, sounding as frustrated as Bruce felt. None of them liked being shown up like they had tonight. It was definite blow to the pride. “The only clue that had been left behind was—”

“A business card,” Batman cut her off as he eventually turned to face his team.

Robin’s expression grew incredulous. “How did you know that?”

“Because it’s his calling card,” he revealed. He’d kept details about this case to himself until now, mostly because there wasn’t much to share at this point, but he was going to turn that around soon. He was bound and determined to break this case wide open one way or another.

“Well, Wonder Woman kept it,” Batgirl continued. “She wanted to run tests on it.”

“You didn’t take it from her?” he questioned them with a dark scowl.

Both stared at the Dark Knight as if he had just grown a second head. “Are you kidding?” Robin finally retorted. “She’s freaking Wonder Woman…a powerful Amazon warrior. You don’t just take something from her unless she’s willing to let you have it.”

“Fine,” he spat out, not in the mood to discuss it any further with them. He’d figured that Diana had found the card and would keep it in her possession. It only added to his growing fury about this whole case. She was resolved to keep herself firmly imbedded in this case whether he liked it or not…and he didn’t like it one bit. “Go ahead and start your patrols.”

“What about this thief?” Robin asked. “Don’t you think we should continue searching for him?”

“No need,” Batman rasped as he turned his back to them to continue his watch over the museum.

“What do you mean ‘no need’?” Batgirl questioned him, her hands finding her hips as she pursed her lips in defiance. 

She didn’t like how Bruce always kept things to himself, rarely sharing what it was that continually circulated through his analytical mind. She’d long ago come to accept that was the way that he worked, but it still proved to be very aggravating at times to say the least.

“Just what I said,” he snapped. “There’s no need to search for him. We won’t be able to find him.”

Batgirl opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but a silent hand on her shoulder caused her to abruptly close it. Robin shook his head with a frown, basically telling her to forget about it. She wasn’t happy with it, but she knew there was little she could do about it either. There was more to this case than just this mysterious thief that was rankling him and she had a feeling it involved a certain Amazon princess.

“Let’s go, Rob,” she grumbled as they turned to leave. She glanced back over her shoulder at him, wondering how long he was going to stay there like that.

Batman knew they had left without having to turn around and look. He continued watching the museum and the shadows that surrounded it, his mind systematically working through the events of the night. He couldn’t help wondering if the thief had stuck around after he had escaped from the museum to watch the chaos that he had created. A lot of criminals enjoyed sticking around to watch and to enjoy their handiwork. For some reason, this thief didn’t strike him as someone who would do that.

It wasn’t the flurry of activity or the trouble that he created. It wasn’t necessarily the attention that his robberies were beginning to garner, although there might be an element of that to it all. For this thief, it was the excitement of the hunt, the danger that surrounded it. He was a person with a compulsive desire for excitement and adventure. He probably didn’t even need the money that his robberies generated. He would go so far as to surmise that the thief was probably as wealthy as he himself was, a billionaire who could live in comfortable wealth without a single worry about the future.

This was about what he could accomplish, how long he could get away with it before anyone could catch him. It was about trying to outsmart every police officer, every detective, every crime fighter, proving himself to be the master of the game.

Little did this man know that he was now dealing with the World’s Greatest Detective.

“Thanks for disappearing on me tonight,” her beautiful yet unmistakably agitated voice cut through his thoughts. 

He instantly stiffened with her presence, angry with himself for not being aware of her presence before she had spoken. He’d been too lost in profiling this criminal to pay attention to his surroundings, causing him to miss her arrival. He’d never admit it to her that she had actually managed to sneak up on him for the first time in her life.

“You had it handled.”

His clipped, flippant response only further ignited her already simmering fury. She closed the distance between them, coming to stand several feet behind him. “You left me to handle everything while you were out gallivanting with your cat girlfriend. I did not appreciate it.”

The corner of Bruce’s lips twitched minutely with her retort. He knew that she would eventually track him down tonight and he knew that she’d be absolutely furious with him, but he’d never guessed she’d be jealous. It was unexpected, but not necessarily unwelcomed.

If truth be told, he found it to be quite vindicating to know that he could rattle her as much as she got to him at times. It also reminded him that there were still unconfessed feelings between them that he was trying desperately to run away from. However, his elder self’s words refused to be forgotten and were a constant reminder to him.

He couldn’t deny, though, the way that his body flushed hotly with the knowledge that she felt something for him that extended past the restrictions of just friendship. He did his best to smother these feelings as he finally turned to face her.

His breath caught in his throat for the second time that night as he found her standing there in her evening dress and not her uniform as he had predicted. She hadn’t changed. Dammit. Why hadn’t she changed?

“Selina is not my girlfriend,” he ground out in response to her accusation, his lips twisted into a sneer. He hated having to explain his actions to anyone. It was why he liked to work alone. “I asked her to be my date to get a thief’s perspective on this guy in hopes of gaining some new insight into the case.”

Diana weighed his words for a moment. Even though she didn’t like it or want to admit it, it had been a good idea. She just wished it hadn’t been Selina or that it hadn’t bothered her so much to see them together. Being forced to watch them kiss had been unsettling for reasons she didn’t want to think about. Their connection to one another was quite obviously still there even if they were no longer together.

She wanted to point out the fact that Bruce certainly didn’t seem to mind Selina pressing her body up against him or had any trouble returning Selina’s passionate kiss, but she wasn’t going to stoop to such a level. Her Amazonian pride wouldn’t allow it. Still, she wasn’t buying what Bruce was telling her for one second.

“Were you two able to find anything?” she asked, allowing her displeasure with him to show through.

Despite himself, he looked away from her icy glare and recognizable resentment. Of course, she couldn’t see that with his cowl on. “Selina said that he’s very good…better than she’d ever seen,” he confessed, his eyes focusing on her once more. It seemed to help soothe a small measure of his own fury burning within him. “He’s probably been doing this far longer than we think. She said that she wouldn’t be surprised if he started as a young teenager.”

Diana’s expression grew sorrowful with the thought. She bit at her bottom lip as she thought about this new theory, her forehead creasing. “What kind of life must he have had that would’ve led him to this?” she murmured more to herself than to him.

“I’m not so certain that he had as hard of a life as you’re imagining, Princess,” Batman replied, his tone gentler. Her compassion truly knew no bounds. It was one of the things that had attracted him to her from the very beginning.

“What do you mean?” she asked, thoughtfully tilting her head. She pulled a raven curl out of her line of sight as the wind abruptly picked up.

Bruce watched in abject fascination as the wind gust caused the skirt of her royal blue gown to billow and swirl around her. It made her look like she was being carried on an ocean wave as she closed the distance between them. She looked like a goddess of the sea that he wanted so desperately to wrap his arms around and hold onto with all his might.

He felt his right arm begin to lift away from his body to touch her when the words of his elder self from the future filled his mind. He immediately dropped his arm, allowing his cape to drape sinisterly around him instead as he stiffened with the reminder of what the future held in store. He couldn’t take that risk…could he?

“Just a theory I have,” he gruffly responded, his jaw clenching and tensing.

Diana couldn’t help but notice the abrupt shift in his mood. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” he dismissively snapped. “Where’s the business card that he left behind?”

Her mouth curved into a frown, not appreciating his stubborn determination to drive her away from him all the time by ordering her around. He was going to find himself spitting his teeth out of bloody mouth soon regardless of how she felt about him. 

“I have it,” she calmly replied, though the glint in her eyes spoke of her simmering fury.

“Give it to me,” he demanded, holding his gauntleted hand out to her.

“No,” she firmly stated, her fingers reaching into the top of her dress to pull enough of the card out of her bodice to give him a glimpse of where she was keeping it. “If you want it, you have to come and get it.”

Bruce went rigid as he gazed tantalizingly at her full breasts that were beckoning him as well as the corner of the white business card that he wanted to get his hands on. He was fairly certain that she meant the card, but the double meaning of her challenge wasn’t lost on him. Things had gradually been escalating between them against his better judgment, their sparring sessions growing more heated.

He ground his teeth, his nostrils flaring with anger. He didn’t have time for these games of hers. He had a thief to catch and he needed the clues left behind on that card. Deciding to call her bluff, he took a definitive step closer to her, a smirk on his lips.

He half expected her to take a step back away from him, knowing that she was untouched by a man. The thought caused a tremble of desire to race through him and settle into his groin. Instead of backing away from him, she stood her ground, not even flinching under his penetrating glare.

They were in a standoff, a fierce battle of wills that would no doubt end in a stalemate at this rate. The Bat part of him wanted to just reach out and take the card from her, but the man in him that cared for her wouldn’t allow him to do it.

Besides, Alfred would have his head if he dared behave toward her like that. He had been raised to treat a woman with a great deal of respect and, staring at her now, he was reminded that she was definitely all woman…a woman who could shatter his arm before he could begin to retract his hand from her cleavage.

“I promise I won’t bite,” she teased him with a flirtatious grin.

He spun on his heel with a growl of frustration, his cape whipping behind him. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Good…neither do I,” she replied, relaxing minutely.

She hadn’t been sure that he wouldn’t go for the evidence she’d kept safely hidden in the bodice of her dress. She was a little disappointed that he didn’t, but she could tell that she had definitely gotten to him. Little by little she was going to push to see where things might actually lead between them. She just had to be careful not to push too hard.

“What do you want?” he demanded to know.

“First, I want to change my clothes,” she began, holding up one finger before allowing another finger to rise. “Second, I want something to eat. I’m starving. I haven’t had anything to eat all day. Third, I want to go back to the cave to see what we can find out about this card.”

“Anything else?” he growled.

“Yes, actually there is,” she decided as she stared at his back. She knew she was likely pressing her luck, but decided to go for broke as she silently closed the distance between them again. “You ever pull a stunt on me again like you did on the Watchtower and you’ll be extricating your utility belt from your ass.”

The corner of Bruce’s lips curled with her threat. Did she have to be so desirable even when she was threatening him? “Fine,” he bit out, not allowing her to see the effect she was having on him. “Go to the manor. Alfred will get you something to eat. I’ll be there as soon as I finish patrol.”

“I’ll help you,” she offered, somewhat taken aback by his willingness to give in to her demands.

He snorted in response as he looked back over his shoulder at her, pulling his grappling gun from his belt. “No, you won’t,” he stated, his voice broking no room for argument. “Go to the manor. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“We really need to have a serious talk about you giving me orders all the time,” she spat out.

“Add it to the list, Princess,” he smugly responded as the grappling line carried him away from her.

He could hear a string of Greek curses being aimed in his direction as he left her standing alone on that rooftop. He was going to have to accept the fact that he wasn’t going to be getting rid of her any time soon or at least until this case was solved.

**_Gotham; September 26th, 02:08 EST_ **

He carefully laid out the Egyptian arm band one by one on the black velvet cloth that he’d already spread out on the table before him. His eyes glistened with the rush of excitement that always came with a successful hit like this. His smile broadened as he removed the collar necklace from his bag, appreciating the exquisite design.

He lightly ran the tips of his fingers over the precious treasure, knowing how much his mother would’ve loved this particular piece. Thoughts of her made his throat clench painfully, further deepening the gaping cavity in his chest. Even after all this time, the pain had yet to truly diminish in the least.

He feared sometimes that he’d never be rid of the pain that he carried with him on a daily basis. Twenty-five years had done little ease it. Not even all of his travels abroad, the extensive teaching and training he’d participated in had fully lessened it or erased the nightmares.

Straightening his shoulders, he ran through a quick meditation exercise that he’d learned in Nepal. He felt a small measure of the ache subside just enough to allow him to breathe a little easier again. Turning his attention to the arm band, he picked one up to better inspect it, noting the craftsmanship. It was amazing to him that crafters in Ancient Egypt could create such magnificent pieces with the limited tools that they had.

He ran his thumb over the emeralds and lapis lazuli, noticing how perfect each jewel appeared to be. He was anxious to return home so he could add it to his collection. Glancing over at his day planner on the table, his eyes fell on the invitation to the Leo Vanover estate. He could hardly wait until the auction. They were going to find some very valuable pieces missing by the time the auction took place.

He sat back in his seat with a smug smirk on his face as he reached for his glass of wine. Stealing what he wanted from the Leo Vanover collection would be even easier than stealing from the Gotham Museum tonight. Wonder Woman’s appearance had given him pause, but only momentarily. She was far more beautiful in person than the tabloids could ever impart. He’d actually been a little apprehensive about talking to her.

To think that he’d been able to steal several items with her being present right there at the gala. She was a founding member of the Justice League, a warrior and the embodiment of virtue, truth, and justice. He could only imagine how she must have reacted once the guests had been searched and discovered that it was far too late to recover the missing pieces.

He had to admit that he wouldn’t mind another encounter with her in the future, but he needed to stay on schedule. If he was to stay on schedule, that meant no returning to Wayne Manor no matter how anxious he was to find out what was being held inside that fortress. He had been enticed by the prospect of conquering that particular security system. Unfortunately, that encounter would have to wait for another time.

Setting his wine glass aside, he turned his attention to his day planner. Pulling it to him, he crossed the museum gala off, looking at his next hit. He had hoped to spend more time in Gotham, especially at Wayne Manor, but a recent announcement of an unveiling in Chicago had captured his attention. 

He gazed at the pictures that he’d downloaded onto his laptop from the big reveal planned for two days from now. He slowly raked his teeth over his bottom lip as he stared at the sapphire necklace that was among the collection that was going to be on display.

 _“Ava is going to love it,”_ he thought to himself as he brushed his thumb over the intricate necklace that had caught his eye.

Releasing a weary breath, he set the pictures aside before standing to his feet. He stretched, rolling his neck a couple of times before making his way to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water before stripping off his clothes. Climbing into the shower, he began to wash up, his thoughts still circulating around Wonder Woman.

He couldn’t help wondering if she had been there for reasons other than the unveiling of the rare Egyptian artifacts. He’d read the newspapers the day after his job at The Met in New York City, noticing the picture of Wonder Woman standing on the front steps of the museum talking to the police. She had been there that night too.

Was she on to him? Had she found the hidden clues that he’d left behind?

No one had found the clues since he began leaving them over three years ago. He had feeling, though, that if anyone was going to put the clues together it would be her. She was reportedly blessed with countless gifts including great intelligence. Would it take a woman blessed by the gods to finally catch him?

It was another reason that he needed to leave Gotham. While Wayne Manor was next on his hit list, the fact that Wonder Woman could possibly be on to him made his decision for him. It was time to leave Gotham and head to Chicago, especially if Wonder Woman was involved now. Besides, staying in Gotham increased his chances of running into the infamous Batman. That was an encounter he wanted to avoid at all cost.

The thought caused the corner of his lips to quirk in amusement as he shut the water off. Grabbing a towel, he began to dry off. He was definitely intrigued with the notion of going head-to-head with the stunning Amazon, a battle of intelligence that he was certain he would win.

She may be intelligent, but he was even more so.

Turning off the bathroom light, he made his way to his bed, pulling back the covers and sliding in under them. A soft sigh escaped his lips as his head sunk into the feather pillows beneath him. He closed his eyes, hoping for once the nightmares would be held bay. Maybe this once he could dream of something else, something much more enjoyable like a beautiful Amazon.

**_Batcave; September 26th; 04:42 EST_ **

The Batmobile followed the twisting roads through the country that would lead home and to her. He had actually been rather surprised that he hadn’t heard from her once while he had been out on patrol. It had taken far longer than he had anticipated and the princess was not a patient person by nature when it came to waiting.

He clenched his teeth near the point of cracking as he thought about her. Thanks to his future self, he couldn’t help thinking about the event that he had been told about every time he thought of her. The two now came hand-in-hand and yet were so directly opposed in the emotion that they each created within him.

His throat felt thick and dry, his head spinning with words that he wished that he hadn’t heard…words that had haunted him every minute of every day since he’d heard them spoken in his own voice. Why couldn’t his future self have just kept his mouth shut and respected the timeline?

Instead, his cantankerous elder self had defied the most important rule when it came to the future and time travel, revealing something that never should have been spoken about. Now, he couldn’t forget it, leaving him with a horrifying burden that he wasn’t meant to bear. It was a tragic event that he never wanted to happen, but he knew he had to respect what was to come or risk the consequences of tampering with time.

At the same time, could he truly let what was going to happen become a reality?

His mind told him he had to; his heart told him he wouldn’t survive it.

He tore through the hidden tunnel of rock, the roar of the engine echoing loudly as he entered his secret sanctuary. Parking the car on its turnstile, Bruce sat there for several long moments, staring straight ahead as he allowed the full weight of what had been placed on his shoulders to consume him.

_“You have to save her…”_

_“Don’t be a stubborn fool like I was…”_

_“She loves you…”_

_“Let her in before it’s too late or risk losing her forever…”_

Bruce suddenly raised his fist, slamming it hard against the dashboard and fracturing it, but he didn’t care. He had a dreadful choice to make and he had no idea what to do. It was either save Diana and risk an even worse cataclysmic event or let Diana die and be forced to live his life without her.

He’d seen what that terrible loss had done to him, how it had destroyed the man that he had once been. He’d already been heading down a dark path as it was with all that he’d been through. Diana’s death obviously caused him to hurtle down that path with no hope of ever being saved, cementing his life with unbearable pain and rage.

If he saved Diana, what would that mean for the world? What if saving her altered things and initiated a catastrophic string of events that they could never recover from?

Bruce yanked his cowl back, rubbing his face with his gauntleted hands. He couldn’t imagine a life without her, but what right did he have to be so selfish as to save her and possibly sacrifice the world in the process?

These questions and so much more had besieged him day and night ever since returning from the future. Now nearly two months later, he was no closer to figuring out what to do. What was worse was the fact that his elder self never told him when it was going to happen or the events leading up to it.

_“When will this happen?”_

_“I’m not going to tell you,” Bruce revealed with a dark scowl._

_Batman’s head jerked to the side, stunned by his decision. “Why not?” he demanded, his fingers wrapped so tightly around the stone ledge of the old roof it was beginning to crumble beneath the death-grip he held on it. “You tell me I have to save her, but you refuse to tell me when this will happen?”_

_“That’s right,” the old man stated, folding his arms defiantly against his chest. “If I tell you that you have two years or five years or even ten, you’ll take every single second of that time to avoid doing anything about what you feel for her all for your damn mission. You need to tell her now.”_

_Batman’s cowled eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as he turned to face the elderly man. He folded his arms against his chest in a mirror image of his elder self. “How long do I have?” he seethed, his words being spat out like venom._

_“I’ll give you eight weeks,” he ground out. “She’s safe for eight weeks after you return to your time. After that, you had damn well better do whatever it takes to let her into your life and save her or I guarantee your life will sink to a fresh new level of hell and suffering that you’ve never even dreamed could exist.”_

_Batman’s jaw tensed, the muscles tightening. He didn’t like being forced like this nor did he appreciate having the timeline tainted with information that he wasn’t supposed to be privy to. “Why are you telling me this? You’re breaking a rule that we firmly believe in. You know we’re not a romantic at heart so it’s more than just the fact that we love her. What changed you?”_

_The older man closed the distance between them in three long strides, standing toe-to-toe with the younger version of himself. A glower unlike anything Batman had ever witnessed before formed on the weathered face glaring darkly at him with that penetrating gaze. It almost made him flinch and look away. He had no idea that he was even capable of such a ghastly glower such as this. It went beyond anything that he’d ever seen in himself before._

_“Once she dies in your arms maybe you’ll finally understand what I’ve been trying to tell you,” he hissed, his chest heaving with emotions so raw and deep that nearly overwhelmed him. “Or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_

Batman dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, wishing that he could stop the sound of his own voice that continually filled his head. His heart and his mind were in a mêlée the likes of which he’d never experienced to this degree before and he had no idea what to do.

Time was swiftly running out. He only had a few more days and then it could happen at any time. His elder self never went into the circumstances surrounding her death or where he actually was when she was initially injured. He knew he was in a no-win situation. There was no way out of this without possible dire consequences.

Bruce finally got out of his car, knowing that he couldn’t avoid her forever. If he was going to do this, he was going to have to watch over her, protect her at all cost every time she was anywhere near him. The thought brought him only a very small degree of comfort knowing that he would protect her with his life if necessary. If someone was going to die, he’d rather it be him than her.

Coming around the car, he drew a deep breath, running his fingers back through his black hair. It was eerily quiet in the cave, almost too quiet. Maybe she had fallen asleep at his desk or Alfred had escorted her to one of the countless guest room upstairs to sleep until he had returned.

He quickened his pace as he made his way to the platform, his frown deepening along with his worry as he found his workstation empty. There was no sign of the princess anywhere, not even something that indicated that she’d ever been there.

He knew that she’d been furious with him tonight for multiple reasons starting with his attempts to keep her from going to the gala and ending with Selina. Of course, ordering her to return to the manor and wait for him to finish patrol had only tossed gasoline on a blazing fire. Maybe she’d just returned to the Watchtower.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Bruce turned to find Alfred approaching, dressed in his bathrobe. “Where’s Diana?” he asked with unmasked worry.

“I haven’t seen Miss Diana,” he replied with a furrowing brow. “No one has been here since you left for the museum.”

Bruce cursed under his breath as he dropped into his chair and started up his computer. “Batman to Watchtower.”

“This is Watchtower,” Black Canary responded. “What can I do for you Batman?”

“What’s Wonder Woman’s current location?” he asked as he swiftly typed, searching for her location.

“She was sent to Metropolis with Flash to help Superman,” Canary informed him. “Granny Goodness and the Furies are tearing through the city. Flash just called in for more back up.”

“I’m on my way,” he stated as he got to his feet and raced to his Batwing. “Batman out.”

He didn’t give Canary time to confirm, but he didn’t need one. Diana was possibly in trouble and he wasn’t going to take the chance that this was the moment that he’d been dreading these last several weeks. His time for brooding was over. Now, it was time for him to act.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!! Here's an early update for you!! I'm just too excited about what's coming up in this fic to leave you hanging. Hope you enjoy the update! :)

Chapter 9

**_Metropolis; September 26th, 05:24 EST_ **

Batman pushed his Batwing near its limits as he cut a sharp path through the pre-dawn sky on his way to Metropolis. He tightened his grip on the controls, questioning the logic of his present course of action. He tried to remind himself that she could handle herself, but it did little to allay his fear or change the fact that his insides were tied up into painful knots.

His elder self’s words kept playing in his mind, taunting him with what he wanted, but he couldn’t have. He would’ve told her he felt something for her a long time ago if he thought for one second he could have the best of both worlds—a relationship with Diana and his mission to protect Gotham.

However, he knew that he would only end up destroying her and suffocating her fiery spirit. Now, he was going to be forced to deal with his feelings for her whether he was ready to face them or not. Time was rapidly running out. Just a few more days until his grace time was officially over.

He definitely didn’t like being forced into a situation by anyone. He knew it wasn’t Diana’s fault. She had no idea that her life was hanging so precariously in the balance, lasting a few more hours or a couple more years. The hardest part was that neither did he and it was eating him alive inside.

The idea of her dying scared the life out of him. The terrifying thought of losing her battled with the ramifications of tampering with the timeline. He had always been a steadfast believer in avoiding any and all interference with future events, but that had been before finding out Diana was going to die.

For the last two months, he’d been doing battle with the revelation that had ripped his heart in two. He had attempted to look at this from every angle, logically dissecting all possibilities and consequences of his actions. The dilemma was that this went past the boundaries of analytical thought. This involved his heart and that was not something that he handled very well.

Emotions were something that he distanced himself from at all cost, especially ones that involved trust, love or passion, peace or happiness. These were not things that he believed he deserved nor were they congruent with his mission. He needed his rage, his resentment and bitterness to do what only he could do every night.

Now, he was at a crossroads that he never dreamed that he’d be at—either let her die, knowing that he could have saved her as well as himself or let her into his life and change the future…possibly for the worst. What if starting a relationship with her caused something far worse to happen to her or someone else close to him?

He hated knowing what was coming. It would have been better had he not known what the future held. His shoulders slumped slightly as he neared Metropolis. No, he knew that wasn’t true. He was only fooling himself. If he could do something to keep her alive, he knew in his heart that he’d do whatever it took even if it meant his own life.

Even though he had a few more days, he wasn’t taking any chances right now. Just because Diana died in his future self’s arms, he wasn’t going to risk not being there to stop it from getting anywhere near the point of her possibly dying. He also wasn’t going to gamble with her life if his elder self had been wrong about the time frame. The price was far too high and he wasn’t willing to pay it with her life. 

Staying away from her wasn’t an option. She could still die with or without him being present. The future Bruce never told him if she died out on the battlefield on mission or in his arms a few days later in the Watchtower infirmary. Only thing that he was told was that she drew her last breath while he held her and he’d be damned if he ever allowed that to happen.

Drawing nearer, Batman spotted Granny Goodness in a full-blown fight with Shayera, trading blows and destroying part of downtown Metropolis. He didn’t see Diana anywhere as he landed the Batwing on a roof, but he knew that she had to be somewhere close by.

There was a path of overturned cars and damaged buildings that led away from downtown. Diana was probably trying to lead the Female Furies away from the city in order to safeguard as many people as possible. It was exactly what he would’ve done. They were alike in so many ways.

Leaping out of his Batwing, he landed hard on the roof top, his cape draping dramatically around him. He was just in time to see Flash being thrown across the street by Stompa who was storming towards him with murder blazing in her eyes. Superman appeared out of nowhere, plowing straight into her and buying Wally a little time to recover.

Batman didn’t waste any more time, leaping off the ledge of the building and allowing his cape to guide and slow his descent to the street below. Desperation to find Diana was growing stronger by the second. He threw up his gauntlets just in time to block a strike by Mad Harriet’s deadly claws all the while his mind racing with worry that he was too late.

Diana and Lashina were nowhere to be seen.

_“Or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_

“Prepare to die, demon,” Mad Harriet seethed.

“Someday, but not today,” Batman vehemently spat out through clenched teeth as he slammed his boot into her gut, sending her reeling backwards.

A wicked scowl formed on Mad Harriet’s lips. “You vile piece of firth!”

“I’ve been called worse,” he shot back, blocking another attack before swiftly reaching out and grabbing hold of her wrist, spinning her around so her arm was pinned behind her back.

“You’re going to pay for that!” she yelled, yanking her arm free and nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process.

She spun and kicked at him, connecting with his side. He winced, managing to catch the heel of her boot as she went in for another kick, flipping her off balanced. He grabbed a flash-bang grenade, tossing it at her as she got to her feet. The flash-bang disoriented her long enough for him to launch an attack of his own.

Batman struck with a furious vengeance, not letting up as he delivered a series of punches and kicks that quickly forced her backwards towards Shayera who was ready with her mace. He watched the look of shock that flickered across Mad Harriet’s face as a Thanagarian cry pierced the air a second before her mace connected with Harriet’s head. She slumped to the ground, down for the count.

Bruce knew he could’ve handled her on his own, but he needed a quick resolution so he could find Diana. The longer he was here without any sign of her the more his worry intensified. All he could think about was how she was going to die.

“Where’s Diana?” he demanded to know, turning his attention back to Shayera.

The Thanagarian shook her head, a frown slowly forming on her already bruising face. “I don’t know,” she confessed, pausing to wipe the sweat from her brow. “Lashina went after her like a demon possessed. I think Diana tried to force her away from downtown to limit the destruction.”

Batman frantically looked around as Flash appeared at his side, rubbing the back of his head. “Man that Stompa packs quite a punch.”

“Have you seen Diana?”

“I saw her fly off that way,” Flash revealed as he pointed with his chin. “She was tied up in Lashina’s whips. Looked awfully painful to me.”

“What’s wrong, Batman?” Shayera perceptively asked.

“Nothing,” he growled, refusing to talk about it with anyone. He hadn’t even talked to Alfred about what he’d learned in the future. He wasn’t about to discuss it with his teammates. “Get them back in their boom tubes as soon as Superman returns with Stompa.”

He raced off without further comment, heading straight for his Batwing. “Batman to Wonder Woman. Come in,” he ordered as he shot his grappling line before taking to the air.

Several moments went by with no response as he climbed into his Batwing, intent on finding her as quickly as possible. “Batman to Wonder Woman. Where are you?”

He took to the air, anxiously waiting for her to respond, but not receiving one. “J’onn,” he barked. “Give me Diana’s current location.”

“She’s approximately four miles east,” J’onn responded. “I’m sending you the coordinates now.”

Receiving the information that he needed, Batman took off towards her location. He scanned the area as he drew closer, trying to catch even the slightest glimpse of her. He spotted several tell-tale signs that she had gone this direction. Periodic signs of destruction did little to comfort or reassure him.

He suddenly caught sight of Lashina stumbling out of an abandoned building and into the morning light before falling to the ground. He immediately landed, making a swift exit before racing towards her. His heart was in his throat as he paused long enough to notice the beating Lashina had received. She wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Standing to his feet, Batman looked up to find Diana walking towards him on somewhat shaky legs, her hands fisted at her sides and chest heaving. She was covered in multiple lacerations and burns from Lashina’s electrified whips, but he could also see the warrior spirit that burned within her, blazing brightly in her blue eyes.

It gave him hope that she was going to be all right. “Please, not yet…not yet,” he silently pleaded with whoever would listen to him as she drew closer.

It was as if time screeched to a halt, fear rising up from some deep dark place within him and threatening to choke the very breath from his lungs. Elder Bruce’s words marched through his mind, repeating like a mantra that refused to stop. 

_“She died in my arms…her last breath spent telling me she loved me…”_

“Diana…” he choked out, finding it more than difficult to make his voice work as he reached for her. His fingers carefully wrapped around her upper arm in a spot where she wasn’t severely burned.

“I’m all right,” she managed to utter, finding it difficult to stay upright at that moment. She’d absorbed so much electricity from Lashina’s whips that she was amazed her heart was still beating.

“No, you’re not,” he rasped, tapping his commlink. “Batman to Watchtower.”

“This is Watchtower,” Steel responded. “What can I do for you?”

“Two for transport to the infirmary,” he stated. “Get Flash here now to pick up Lashina at my coordinates.”

“On it,” Steel responded. “Initiating transport now.”

“Batman,” Diana started to argue only to find herself standing in the med bay of the Watchtower in the next breath. “It’s not that bad. I could’ve taken care of Lashina.”

“That’s what you think,” he growled. “J’onn!”

Despite her best efforts to remain strong in front of Batman, Diana’s knees finally buckled, forcing her teammate to catch her before she hit the floor. His heart nearly stopped as he held her in his arms, his every muscle tense with blinding fear. He held his breath as he gazed at her, almost afraid to speak.

“Diana,” he finally growled her name. “Stay with me, Princess.”

Diana frowned as she found herself looking up into Batman’s cowled face. His worry was palpable as he brushed her raven hair back from her face. “I’m all right,” she insisted. “I just need a minute to rest.”

She struggled to sit up, but found herself trapped securely in Bruce’s arms. “You’re not fine,” he snapped.

“Bring her to the bed,” J’onn told him as he appeared through the wall.

Bruce immediately carried her over to the bed, being careful of her numerous electrical burns as he laid her down. He hesitantly released his hold on her, not ready to let go of her yet, but knew that he had to. The burns that criss-crossed her skin made him internally shudder. The only thing that gave him any measure of relief was the fact that her pain tolerance was so high and that she would heal quickly. 

She hadn’t died…at least not yet.

“Bruce, she’ll be fine,” J’onn telepathically reassured him as he began checking her over.

Batman looked up sharply at the Martian, silently berating himself for being so careless with his thoughts. He didn’t want anyone to know what was coming in the future. He gave J’onn a curt nod as he strengthened his mental barriers, not wanting anymore of his thoughts or emotions to leak out.

“Why are you over-reacting?” Diana asked Batman as she tried to sit up only to have him effortlessly push her back against the pillows with two fingers.

“No, you’re not,” he stated with a menacing scowl that had absolutely no affect on her, his hand still resting on her shoulder. “You haven’t looked in a mirror lately, have you, Princess?”

“Are you saying I look hideous?” she teased, trying to lighten his mood as grimace flitted across her face. There was something more behind his worry over her, a foreboding fear behind it that puzzled her.

Bruce was not amused with her attempt at humor. His frown deepened in response as he sank into a chair by her bed. Even after taking on Lashina, she was still so beautiful. He immediately shoved that thought aside. Now was not the time to be thinking such things.

“Besides the multiple electrical burns, you have a severe concussion and multiple broken ribs,” he revealed with a grim expression. “You absorbed a tremendous amount of electricity that has caused some pretty extensive heart damage, but I’m sure with your advanced healing you will be good as new in a couple of days.”

Bruce’s own heart stuttered with the news, but he kept his face emotionless. Had this been it? Had this been the event that was going to take her away from him? Had he somehow managed to avert it or was the worst possible moment to ever come since he lost his parents still yet to happen? His sanity was not going to survive this.

“I don’t feel that bad,” Diana attempted to reassure her friends. “I’m just a little tired is all. It’s nothing that a shower and a good night’s sleep can’t fix.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Batman heatedly insisted as he stood to his feet. “I’m heading back to Metropolis. J’onn, hog-tie her if she tries to leave.”

“I’m going to get the necessary supplies to clean your wounds,” J’onn wisely announced before leaving them alone, muttering “humans” under his breath.

“You can’t make me stay here!” Diana angrily yelled as Batman turned to leave.

Batman whirled on his heel, storming back towards her bed as if carried on top of a swelling thunderhead. His frustration and fear was still right there beneath his skin, desperately seeking release. Both gauntleted hands firmly came to rest flat on the pillows on either side of her head, forcing her back against the pillows against her will. He was practically nose to nose with her, his breath hot against her face.

“You almost died this morning, Princess,” he hissed, doing his best to control his trembling rage. “You have severe burns and significant heart damage. You are not going anywhere until J’onn clears you. Do you hear me?”

Diana seethed as she haughtily glared up at him, her chin raised in defiance and refusing to back down. “You can’t—”

“Do you hear me?” he snarled, refusing to back down either. He knew he couldn’t handle another scare involving her like this ever again.

Diana’s chest was heaving with the fury pounding through her. How dare this insolent man tell her what she was going to do? He had no right to speak to her like this or treat her like some helpless child. She swore at him in Greek, her cheeks flushed with the extent of her anger.

“You can call me anything you want as long as you’re alive to do it,” he angrily countered, his gaze momentarily flickering to her lips that he ached to devour at that moment. Just a few more millimeters and he could. He wanted to more than anything, to steal a moment of comfort from her.

Sudden realization flooded her as she stared up at him, trying her best not to throw him through the wall. His words roused her heart and allowed a moment of clarity to cut through her anger-filled mind. He had truly been afraid that she was going to die this morning.

The thought stunned her senseless, erasing the rage from her face. She felt a wave of desire swell within her, one that rapidly smothered her anger. Instead of throttling him, she wanted him to be even closer to her, to taste those lips and that jaw that tormented her every time he was in uniform.

Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips, causing Bruce’s breath to catch in his throat. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to pull away from her before he did something dangerous. He suddenly realized that he had just let far too much emotion show through, his words betraying his thoughts and fears. The way her blue eyes softened and warmed only confirmed his glaring mistake. There was also something more there, some emotion that he didn’t want to allow himself to even think about.

As much as he wanted to tell her how he felt, he knew he couldn’t. He was going to have to try to save her another way, to make sure she didn’t die. Giving up his heart to her wasn’t something that he could afford to do no matter what his elder self had told him. It would only end up destroying her in other ways that he couldn’t begin to think about.

He abruptly pulled back, allowing his black cape to completely cloak him and attempt to shield him from the intense sexual energy that had erupted between them. “I’m going back to Metropolis,” he evenly stated. “Don’t you dare leave, Princess. I’ll know.”

With that, he swept out of the infirmary like a violent blast of icy wind that nearly caused her to shiver in response to his abrupt departure. She ground her teeth as she stared at the doors he’d just passed through. Her Amazonian pride demanded that she follow him, to tell him exactly what she thought of him ordering her like this.

Her rationale side told her that something was going on with him, something that he wasn’t willing to talk about. She had a feeling it had to do with what he’d learned in the future, but trying to make him open up to her was next to impossible. He wouldn’t open up to her about simple things like this case they were working on let alone whatever it was that had rattled him so deeply.

“Do not worry yourself, Diana,” J’onn said as he returned with his supplies. “I have a feeling you will be released from the infirmary by tomorrow. I’m sure you’re healing ability is already working to repair the damage to your heart and your burns will be gone in three days.”

“Why does he have to be so difficult all the time?” she spat out the question that was weighing on her mind as J’onn began to work. “He makes being his friend so difficult sometimes.”

The corner of his lips quirked slightly with a knowing smirk, but he quickly suppressed it. “Humans and the games they play when it comes to love,” he thought to himself as he worked before verbally answering her. “Batman is a very complicated man and yet some parts of him are really not all that complex.”

Diana’s brow furrowed as she turned to look at him, her lips thinning into a grim line. “I don’t know about that, J’onn,” she replied. “Just when I think I’m getting somewhere with him, he throws another wall up in my face. It feels like I’m wandering around in an endless maze when it comes to him, running into walls and dead ends with no hope of getting to the very heart of him.”

J’onn chuckled softly as he wrapped a bandage around her arm. “I think that you’ve gotten farther than you think…farther than anyone else ever has.”

Diana’s frown deepened as she thought about it for a moment. She released a weary sigh as she rested her head back against the pillows, her eyelids growing heavy. “I don’t think Batman will ever allow anyone to get close to him.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain about that, Diana,” he softly answered her, noticing how she’d already fallen asleep.

**_Metropolis; September 26th, 09:16 EST_ **

Batman appeared in Metropolis in the same spot that he had left with an injured Diana in his arms. He looked around to find Lashina gone, no doubt already sent back to Apokolips along with the others. He was more than relieved that was over and that Diana would make a full recovery.

He didn’t think he was going to be able to handle this, always wondering when the next attack would come that might take her life. There had to be a way to avoid that horrifying outcome without having to surrender his heart in the process. Just because he loved her didn’t mean that he should just let her into his life. His reasons for trying to keep her at arms’ length still remained even if Diana thought they were baseless.

He headed towards his waiting Batwing so he could return to Gotham and get a couple of hours of sleep. He felt the flutter of wind a moment before the Man of Steel landed on the ground beside him. “Hey, how’s Diana? Is she all right?”

“Alive…for now,” he ground out as he surreptitiously rubbed his ribs where he’d taken that hit from Mad Harriett. He knew they were going to give him some trouble for the next couple of days at least.

Superman frowned as he looked at him. “What’s that supposed to mean…for now?”

“Nothing,” he insisted. “Did you send the Furies back home?”

“They’re as good as gone,” Clark confirmed with a satisfied nod. “Clean up is already underway.”

“Any other injuries?”

“Flash took a pretty nasty hit to the head,” Superman informed him. “I just sent him up to the infirmary to be treated as well. Hawkgirl has a wrist fracture and some nasty cuts, but she’ll be fine.”

“Good,” he said. “I’m heading back to Gotham. Call me if they make a reappearance.”

“I don’t think they’ll be back any time soon,” Clark replied. “Diana really decimated Lashina. Granny Goodness, Stompa, and Mad Harriett aren’t much better off.”

“Any idea what they wanted?” he asked as he came to a stop by his Batwing.

“No idea,” Superman said. “Probably just causing trouble.”

“Maybe,” Batman thoughtfully muttered as he rubbed his chin. “Still I wouldn’t put it past them that they were after something. Better keep an eye out for any more trouble from Apokolips.”

“Will do,” he agreed. “Any luck on the robbery case you and Diana are working on?”

“Not yet, but I have more research to do,” he revealed. “I’ll let you know when we have something.”

“Yah, I bet you will,” Clark murmured with a smile, unconvinced. “Good to have you back by the way.”

“I was never really gone,” he stated as he climbed up into his Batwing.

Clark just shook his head in disbelief. “Whatever you say.”

Batman left without another word, dreading the flight back to Gotham. It only gave him that much more time to think and that was the last thing that he wanted to do. He’d done enough thinking for almost two months now to give him a migraine that would last him for a lifetime.

Deciding he better check up on the Amazon who was never far from his thoughts, he contacted J’onn. Knowing her, she’d probably already tried to escape the infirmary. “Batman to J’onn.”

“How may I help you, Batman?” J’onn answered, though he already knew what the Caped Crusader wanted.

“How’s Diana?” he asked. “Did she stay?”

“Yes, she’s here sleeping at the moment,” he confirmed.

Batman released a relived sigh as he tightened his grip on the controls. “Good,” he stated. “Keep me informed if there are any changes.”

“I will,” J’onn agreed.

Batman ended the communication before anymore conversation could occur. He didn’t want any advice or encouragement speeches about how he and Diana should be together. Right now, he wanted a handful of aspirin and his bed so he could forget about how terrified he’d been when he thought was going to lose her.

It was an unacceptable outcome, one that he would avoid at all cost. While he couldn’t deny the hold that she had on him, he wasn’t going to just give in to the intense feelings that he had for her. It would be disastrous to say the least, putting her in just as much jeopardy as she was already in now. Either path he chose could end in her death.

There had to be a way to avert whatever was going to steal her away from him.

Arriving in the Batcave, Batman quickly exited the Batwing, landing on the cave floor with a thud. He began peeling off his cowl and gauntlets as he approached his work desk, grimacing as he rubbed his bruised ribs. He wanted to check to see if the program they’d created had been able to decipher what was on those hidden microchips Diana had discovered.

So far, the process had been slow and tedious. The thief had done a good job of encrypting the information on the chips, but with Tim’s computer skills, they’d been able to come up with a program to do the hard work for them. Hopefully, they would have the information they needed soon.

He really wished he had that calling card that Diana had found at the Gotham Museum. He needed that card to continue his investigation into this case. Unfortunately, Diana was in the infirmary and he had no idea where she’d put the card. He had a bad feeling she wasn’t going to let him have it until she was here to check it out with him.

“What do you want, Selina?” Bruce asked without turning around.

Selina smiled as she sauntered towards him, her hands coming to rest against his back. She felt him grow tense for a moment before relaxing. “You always know I’m here before I make my presence known. It must be the special connection that we share…like soul mates.”

“Or it was your perfume,” he decided as he carefully studied one of the cards that had been left behind at a heist their thief had done in France last year. “You know that I don’t believe in the notion of soul mates or fated love.”

“Always the hopeless romantic,” Selina uttered with a sigh as she lightly ran her fingernails down his spine. “It’s one of the things that I love about you.”

“Selina, I’ve already told you that I can’t be with you anymore,” he reminded her. “You know we aren’t good together.”

Selina pouted as she shifted to his side, pushing her way between him and his work desk. She easily lifted herself up to sit on the edge of the table, her thighs spreading to accommodate his hips. “I personally think we’re spectacular together,” she purred as her fingernail traced his jaw. “I think deep down inside you agree…at least that’s what I gathered from the way you always—”

“Enough,” Batman said, pulling her hand away. “I have work to do.”

She took his hand in hers, gently pulling him back towards her. She squeezed his hips with her thighs, hoping he’d give in to what she wanted. She had seen the way that Bruce had reacted to Diana’s arrival at the museum and she didn’t like it. She wanted to reclaim what was rightfully hers.

“All work and no play makes for a very boring Bat,” she playfully flirted, her fingers caressing his jaw as she snaked her way behind his head. “We didn’t get to finish what we started at the museum gala.”

Selina pulled him in for a heated kiss, one that he didn’t return at first, but all too soon found himself giving in to her. He wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold on her as he surrendered to her kiss. He had missed this closeness…this passion, the constant loneliness that lived like a dull ache in his soul momentarily.

However, he couldn’t forget the terror that had invaded every fiber of his being when he’d held Diana in his arms in the infirmary on the Watchtower. He’d thought for certain that he’d just lost her like his elder self had warned him he would. He felt himself pouring the passion that he felt for Diana into the kiss, the fear and frustration that he’d been harboring for the last two months.

Realizing it was Selina in his arms and not Diana, he abruptly pulled out of the kiss with a sharp gasp, his breathing ragged as guilt settled over him. Selina shared his heated state. “Wow, Bruce,” she murmured, fighting to catch her breath. “You’ve never kissed me like before. You’ve been holding out on me all these years.”

A throat clearing cough cut through the thick tension that hung in the air. He stepped back, rubbing his hands over his face in an effort to settle his warring emotions as well as his arousal. “Alfred,” Bruce growled, thankful for the interruption. “What do you need?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you needed anything, but I see that you are already being taken care of,” he stated with unmistakable disapproval.

Selina slowly dragged her tongue along her bottom lip, looking like the cat that had swallowed the canary. “Hello, Alfred,” she greeted him with a smirk. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has, Miss Kyle,” Alfred coolly replied, hands clasped in front of him. “May I fix you both some breakfast?”

“Selina was just leaving,” Bruce stated in no uncertain terms.

Selina’s smirk disappeared, replaced by a look of pure anger. She obviously didn’t like being dismissed like this, sharing an intimate moment only to be tossed aside like she meant nothing. “I guess I’ll be leaving,” she agreed, none too pleased as she hopped down off the work table. She paused to drag a single finger along Bruce’s jaw. “I’ll see you later, Bruce. We have unfinished business between us.”

Bruce refused to respond to her, turning away from her as she left. He never should’ve let himself give in to her like that. He needed to get his head on straight. He didn’t have time for another meaningless fling with Selina when Diana’s life was in danger.

He wished now that he hadn’t contacted Selina to accompany him to the museum gala, but it was too late now. He was going to have to deal with the ramifications by giving in to that kiss. He had been so rattled by what had happened to Diana this morning that he’d surrendered to the need that burned within him. He needed that solace that he couldn’t take from Diana right now.

He could feel Alfred’s eyes boring a hole through his head. He knew how his surrogate father felt about Selina. “Just say it already,” Bruce snapped as he focused his attention on his work desk.

“I have nothing to say, Master Bruce,” Alfred evenly replied.

Bruce snorted in response as he looked up at the elder man. “That’s a first,” he sardonically said with a small note of surprise.

“What would you like me to say?”

Several long moments passed before Bruce finally spoke again. “I love her,” he admitted as his hands came to rest on his work desk, his head lowered with the weight of his ultimate acceptance.

“Have you told Miss Diana this?”

Bruce turned his head to look at his butler over his shoulder, a frown evident on his face. “How did you know I didn’t mean Selina?”

A knowing smile touched Alfred’s lips as he regarded his surrogate son. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out,” he replied. “I’ve known you’ve been in love with Miss Diana for quite some time. I was just waiting for your head to catch up with your heart.”

“Kissing Selina finally made me realize what I’ve been denying to myself for so long,” he said. “I kept telling myself it was just an attraction that would disappear with time, but it hasn’t. It’s only grown stronger…into something more.”

“Now the question is what are you going to do about it?”

Bruce dipped his head again, the intensity of his pain nearly palpable. “Nothing,” he softly muttered.

“May I ask why not?” Alfred asked, disheartened by his answer.

“You know why I can’t, Alfred,” he snapped, his voice gaining in strength and volume again as his anger with the situation rose once more. If they had different lives…if _he_ was different, things could have been the way that he wanted them to be...the way his dreams were.

“Please enlighten an old man,” he prodded.

Bruce whirled around, anger storming in his eyes, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “You know why, Alfred,” he nearly yelled. “She deserves far better than this…than me.”

Alfred patiently watched as Bruce gestured to the Bat uniform he still wore, the anguish that filled the younger man’s face breaking his own heart. He truly believed that he didn’t deserve to be loved or enjoy the happiness and contentment that would emerge from a relationship with the Princess of the Amazons.

“Bull-rubbish,” Alfred angrily spat out, feeling as though he had somehow failed the boy that had been left in his charge to raise.

The fire abruptly extinguished from his eyes as he stared at Alfred in stunned disbelief. “What?”

“You heard me,” the British butler calmly replied. “That’s bull-rubbish and you know it. You might believe you don’t deserve the princess, but that’s not the heart of the issue.”

“Then what is the issue?” Bruce growled.

“You’re scared,” Alfred simply said.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed with building fury, his jaw clenching almost painfully. “I’m not scared,” he bit out with a sneer.

“You are terrified of being hurt again so you pursue relationships with women who you know in your heart you can never fully commit to or that will never work out,” Alfred pressed on. “Miss Diana could actually work, fitting quite well into your life as well as your mission and that terrifies you.”

Bruce looked away from the scrutinizing gaze of his father-figure, his face darkening. “I am not.”

“Something happened to you when you went to the future, something involving Miss Diana that has so completely rattled you that you don’t know which end is up,” he continued. “However, you have discovered a better understanding of what it is that you actually feel for her and now you have no idea what to do about it.”

Bruce sank into the chair at his desk, leaning forward to hold his head in his hands. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to those of us who know you so well,” he told him, his tone gentle. “What did you see that has you in such an utter tailspin?”

“I can’t talk about it,” he insisted with a definitive shake of his head, a scowl forming on his face as he was reminded of the other part of his problem. “Besides, talking about it won’t change anything. I have to figure this one out for myself.”

“Well, you bloody hell better figure it out soon before you drive her away,” he told him. “She may have been blessed by her gods with many gifts and virtues, but I’m sure that even she doesn’t possess enough patience to wait for you forever.”

“Why would she, Alfred?” he asked. “She probably doesn’t even feel the same way about me.”

Alfred snorted in disbelief, his lips curving into a frown. “You really are as blind as a bat sometimes.”

Bruce didn’t get a chance to question his butler any further as the computer alerted him to the fact the program had completed its task. He began typing, pulling up the results that shocked him senseless. He never would’ve guessed their thief was this arrogant.

“What is it, Master Bruce?” Alfred questioned, hearing the curse that followed the growl.

“The program deciphered what was on the microchips that Diana found imbedded in the cards,” Bruce explained as he continued typing. “The chips contains numbers…latitude and longitude.”

“For what?”

“For his next hit.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_**Watchtower; September 27th, 17:47 EST** _

John Stewart surveyed the bank of computer screens before him, a frown on his face as he watched over a developing natural disaster over the Indian Ocean. If the storm continued to develop the way that he feared, it would mean certain devastation for Malaysia.

He continued to watch various news feeds on a couple of other screens, keeping up on world events in case the League was needed to intervene. Even though he was trying his best to keep his focus on monitor duty, he was finding his mind kept drifting to his conversation with Diana the other day.

A part of him knew that she was right about not completely closing his heart off towards any possibilities regarding his future, but he was finding it very difficult to get his mind to agree. He couldn’t forget the hurt that still lingered when he thought about how Shayera had left him standing there with his heart in a thousand pieces.

Even now, he felt a stab of pain with the reminder, one that made him harden himself against it. He didn’t want to be reminded of that pain. It had taken him months to get past it, finally finding happiness once more with Vixen. He had felt as if his life was back on track at last, everything falling neatly into place as it should have been.

Then, Shayera had returned.

He had done his best to pretend that her return didn’t matter to him, that he didn’t feel something every time that he saw her angelic wings or her beautiful red hair. It didn’t work, though. Despite his attempts to deny it, he still felt that same familiar flutter inside of him when he saw her. It didn’t help either that she no longer wore her hawk mask. Now, he was treated to the sight of her beautiful face every time he looked at her, those bright emerald green eyes that seem to know every part of him.

John tilted his head back against the chair, momentarily closing his eyes as he tried to drive the memories from his brain. He didn’t want to remember how it felt to love her, didn’t want to recall how it felt to be skin against skin with her or to know the taste of her kisses. Unfortunately, his mind didn’t want to cooperate. Those memories were forever imprinted on his brain and nothing was ever going to erase them…not even Vixen.

He felt a twinge of guilt for thinking of Shayera, knowing that he did feel something for Vixen, but was it really love? 

Diana had been right. It was something that he needed to sort out not only for himself but for Vixen as well. It wasn’t fair to her to stay with her if he was constantly thinking of Shayera. The real question, however, was did Shayera even love him anymore? What if he went to her with his heart on his sleeve again only to be rejected by her? He knew he’d never be able to live through that again. It had been more than difficult the first time around.

Thoughts of Warhawk drifted though his mind, creating a swell of pride in his chest as well as a sense of great regret. If he and Shayera never get back together, then Warhawk will never come to exist. On the other hand, he was not about to reunite with Shayera just so he could have the son that he had met.

John growled under his breath, more than frustrated by the whole thing. It gave him a headache the more he thought about it. He wished at times that he’d never been on that mission, had never seen the things that he had witnessed. Then, he wouldn’t be put in this horribly difficult situation that he now found himself in.

He wanted to punch something, to release the frustration he felt teeming inside of him. He didn’t know how he was going to make a decision—thinking about Shayera but sharing a bed with Vixen. He knew, though, that he couldn’t just ignore it. For Diana to give him advice about Shayera had been monumental seeing how the Amazon still harbored ill feelings towards the Thanagarian. It made him fully realize the prudence of her words.

It wasn’t fair to any of them. It didn’t make his decision any easier, though. At least he wasn’t in a time crunch to make a decision. He could take his time and try to figure out who it was that he truly loved, try to probe a little further in order to find out about Shayera’s feelings for him.

“John, I need to talk to you,” Superman called as he approached, a bewildered expression on the Man of Steel’s face.

“What’s up?” John asked, sitting up a little straighter in his chair.

Superman sat down in a chair next to John, his expression not easing in the least. “How was your trip to Oa?”

“Good,” he reported. “Everything’s back on track again.”

“That’s good to hear,” Clark replied with a nod. “It’s good to have you back.”

John sensed that there was more on Clark’s mind than just his recent trip to Oa. “What’s going on?”

“My big mouth,” Clark confessed, sinking back in his chair as if the weight of his problems had just been lifted from his shoulders by the ominous admission.

John’s brow creased in confusion as he stared at his friend. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Flash got me into big trouble,” he told him.

“How so?”

Clark sat forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I made the mistake of telling Diana that I’d never seen two people more well-matched than her and Batman. She got all Amazonian furious at me…Greek curses and scary blue eyes. She told me that was crazy and that she couldn’t stand him.”

John couldn’t help but laugh in response to Clark’s confession, relieved that it hadn’t been anything worse. Clark leveled him with a confused look that quickly turned into great annoyance the longer the Green Lantern continued to laugh at the situation that he now found himself in.

“What’s so funny?” Clark snapped. “There is nothing funny about dealing with an enraged Amazon and an irate Bat.”

John held up a hand as he tried to stifle his laughter. “Whoa…wait,” he choked out as he tried to regain his composure. “You said something to Bats too?”

“Well, yah…” Clark muttered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I told him that he really should try buying her flowers or taking her out on a date instead of making her angry all the time.”

John bit his bottom lip to keep from bursting into laughter again, shaking his head in amazement. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“What?” Clark cried in disbelief. “I was only trying to help them.”

“Don’t you know that they can’t be helped?” John asked, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

“What do you mean?” Superman demanded to know, more than ready to argue his point. “They’re perfect for each other. I mean on the surface they don’t appear to be made for each other, but at heart they really are perfect together. Heck, sparks fly every time they’re around each other.”

“I know…I know,” John agreed. “I’m on your side on this. All I’m saying is that you need to let those two figure it out for themselves.”

Clark frowned as he slouched back in his chair again, folding his arms against his chest in resignation. “Like that’ll ever happen,” he grumbled. “Neither of them will ever admit that there’s something there. I don’t know if Diana is just that naïve that she doesn’t realize she’s in love or if she’s just afraid that Batman will end up hurt her.”

John grunted in response. “Don’t let her hear you say that or you’ll never get off her bad side.”

Clark snorted in amusement. “I’ve got enough trouble with trying to handle Lois without adding Diana into the mix,” he replied. “We both know that Batman won’t do anything about his feelings. He won’t even admit that he has feelings for her. He sure as heck won’t do something about it.”

“I think he’ll surprise us,” John thoughtfully said.

Clark frowned at he stared at his friend, trying to figure out what he knew. “What makes you think that?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess it’s because of what Bats discovered when we went to the future to stop Chronos. I think seeing his cantankerous old self so bitter and all alone had a profound effect on him.”

“That’s the real reason he’s been absent these last several weeks…isn’t it?”

“That’s what I suspect,” John confessed with a sigh. “Old Bruce had a private conversation with Bats. Whatever they discussed was not anything good.”

“Well, he seems to have worked through whatever it was that had affected him so deeply because he’s back with the League again,” Superman pointed out.

“Probably so,” GL agreed with a nod. “Hopefully, seeing his older self so alone will push him into doing something about his feelings for Diana.”

“I hope so,” he said as he stood to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. “You know he’d kill us if he knew were talking about him.”

“He probably already knows,” John stated with a snort of amusement. “He’s probably got this whole station wire-tapped.”

“I gotta run,” Clark replied, looking up to see the next League member due for monitor duty. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Yah…see you later,” John murmured as he caught sight of Shayera coming towards him.

“Hi, John,” Shayera evenly greeted him, giving him a small, forced smile.

John was somewhat surprised to see her here. He had thought that Vigilante had the next shift after him. He did his best to hide his surprise as he quickly stood to his feet, almost knocking his chair over. He wasn’t quite certain how to act around her now that Diana had him thinking about his future instead of just shutting himself off to it like he’d been very happy to do.

“I didn’t know that you were next up for duty,” he said.

“Vigilante needed to trade shifts,” she revealed, crossing her arms as if trying to protect herself.

She looked almost fragile and vulnerable standing there before him and he couldn’t help wondering where she’d been, what she’d been through and how deeply it had all affected her during the months that she had been gone. Life had not doubt been very hard for her, her return to the League even more so.

Many were still wary of her, some showing support while others like Diana held icy resentment towards her. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, wishing he could take away the pain that lingered in her emerald eyes. He never thought he’d see the day that Shayera Hol appeared fragile and yet she seemed so small and alone at this moment.

Shayera visibly stiffened as he stared at her, a frown curling her lips. “What?” she asked somewhat defensively, not appreciating the pity that flitted through his dark brown eyes.

“Nothing,” he quickly murmured with a shake of his head in an attempt to break himself out of his stupor. “How have you been?”

She appeared somewhat taken aback by his question as she seemed to consider her answer. “I’m all right,” she finally decided.

John wasn’t buying it. He knew her better than that…better than anyone. “Shay,” he softly chided her. “I’m sure it’s been a difficult adjustment being back here around all of this.”

She looked away from him before he could see the flicker of sadness that filled her eyes, but he noticed. He always noticed everything when it came to her. Months apart, months of being in the arms of another woman hadn’t changed that in the least.

He placed a gentle hand on her forearm, causing her to meet his steady gaze again. “Shay, you’re not alone,” he softly told her. “I still care about you.”

Her emerald eyes widened in stunned disbelief with his words. Before she could even form a response, Vixen entered the Monitor Womb. John immediately retraced his hand, guilt assaulting him. He shouldn’t have said that to her, but it was the truth. He would always care about her no matter what the future held for them.

“Hey, are you ready?” Vixen asked as she came to stand beside her boyfriend.

“Yah, I was just giving Shayera an update,” he told her. “There’s a storm brewing over the Indian Ocean you’ll have to keep a watch on. Other than that, it’s been fairly quiet.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep an eye on it,” Shayera said, giving him the first genuine smile that he’d seen from her since her return.

It gave him an unexpected flicker of hope…hope that he didn’t realize that he had even needed or wanted. “You’re welcome,” he replied, forcing himself to turn his attention to his girlfriend. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

Vixen possessively slipped her arm around John’s, giving Shayera a glare that said “stay away”. Shayera merely ignored it, choosing rather to take her seat at the monitor station instead. She didn’t notice John glancing back at her over his shoulder as he left with Vixen’s arm around his waist or the brief glimmer of longing that filled his face.

**_Batcave; September 27th, 16:30 EST_ **

Bruce frowned as he concentrated on his newest creation, studying every angle of it. He was trying to replenish his supply of batbombs and batarangs while working on some new gadgets that could come in handy. He had hoped that the mindless task would help to clear his head and give him some much needed clarity into this whole situation with Diana. Not only did he have these unwanted feelings for her, but, if he didn’t do something that drastically changed the future, she was going to die.

That was an unacceptable outcome no matter which angle he tried to look at it. It wasn’t a question as to whether or not he would try to save her life now. He’d come to terms with the fact that he couldn’t let her die a while ago. His heart wouldn’t let him accept it no matter what he believed about keeping the timeline pure. The problem now lay in the fact that it was just as dangerous to allow her into his life and give her his heart. 

He would be at risk of losing her either to his enemies or personally driving her away with his countless issues—demons that started with survivor’s guilt, trickling into an endless stream of haunting nightmares and suicide missions as Diana preferred to call them. He, however, would not qualify crashing the Watchtower to stop the Thanagarian invasion as a suicide mission.

He couldn’t live with himself if he ever drove her away. It would be better to keep her as a friend and in his life than to have her gone forever, knowing her touch but never being able to hold her again. He felt that he was in a no-win situation. Any way that he looked at it, he was going to lose her and it terrified him to no end.

He fought the urge to call up to the Watchtower to check on her, not wanting to create any more rumors about them then what were already circulating around the floating space station as it was. He had a feeling she wasn’t in the infirmary any longer anyway. Trying to keep her in the med bay was about as easy as keeping him there.

Thankfully, Selina hadn’t come back since she’d been here yesterday, but he knew that he hadn’t seen the last of her. He was going to have to deal with her sooner or later. It was unfair of him to kiss her while he was thinking of Diana. He refused to lead her on or to hurt her in any way. He didn’t love her, not any longer…not like he should or she deserved and it was definitely not the same way that he loved Diana.

“You keep scowling like that it’s going to stick.”

The sound of her voice caused him to instantly freeze, making him wonder how in the world he had missed her arrival in his private sanctuary. He’d allowed himself to get too absorbed in his thoughts, a fatal mistake if he were in the field. Thankfully, he wasn’t.

He swallowed hard, his recently acknowledged feelings for her suddenly surging through his veins. It was the first time that he’d seen her since he’d fully realized and accepted the fact he was in love with her. For the first time in his life, the playboy billionaire didn’t know how to react to her unexpected presence.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked, keeping his eyes on his work. He knew he sounded more Bat than Bruce, but it couldn’t be helped right now, not until he sorted out this chaotic mess known as his heart.

He could feel her drawing closer, her heady jasmine vanilla scent assaulting him and causing a warm flush to flood his system. He did his best to keep his heart rate and breathing regular, knowing that she would pick up on the smallest fluctuations.

“Wally,” Diana conceded as she came to stand by him, leaning her hip against his work desk. “Why are you scowling? Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine,” he snapped. “Why aren’t you in the infirmary where you belong, Princess?”

“Bruce, I’m fine,” she insisted with a frown. “The burns are already healing and J’onn said my heart is mending as well.”

He refused to make eye contact with her, keeping his focus entirely on his work. He didn’t like the way she affected him so intensely, so wholly. He couldn’t trust himself around her despite the fact that he was trying his best to keep her alive.

“What do you want?” he asked.

Bruce heard her sigh, knowing that he was being far more difficult than she deserved. He couldn’t bear the thought of being the cause of any more pain than she’d already been through. Even though she said that J’onn had cleared her, he couldn’t be sure that her heart had fully recovered already. He didn’t want to cause her any more stress.

He forced himself to look up from his modified batarang he was working on, finding himself staring into sapphire eyes filled with an emotion that he was scared to even begin to give a name to. The intensity behind her gaze stole his breath away, reminding him again of what he felt for this woman.

Diana wished that he would open up to her even just a little bit, leaving a crack open in his heart that would allow her to get a foothold inside. She wanted him to find happiness and peace, only just discovering that she wanted to be the one to bring him that.

“I brought the business card I found at the Gotham Museum for you to look at,” she said, finally finding her voice as she pulled an evidence bag out of her the back pocket of her jeans and handed it to him. “Have you been able to figure out the meaning of the microchips?”

He took the clear bag from her, his fingers brushing against hers and creating a tingle that shot up his arm. “Tim and I created a program to do the work for us,” he explained. “The microchips contain coordinates for his next hit.”

“Hera,” Diana said with a gasp of shock, mulling it over for a moment. “He’s far more narcissistic than we initially gave him credit for.”

“That’s what I thought too,” he agreed.

“He’s practically taunting us…telling us that we can’t catch him,” she replied, trying to process this newest piece of information.

“I know, but that was before we found out about the hidden clue,” he told her. “We’re going to catch him.”

“We?” Diana repeated with a tilt of her head, arching a raven eyebrow in surprise. “You’re actually going to let me be your partner on this case without putting up a fight?”

“I’m obviously not going to get you to leave me alone on this,” he grumbled, displeasure written plainly on his face. “It’ll be far less of a headache to just let you help me than to try to keep you out of it.”

The corner of Diana’s red lips twisted in amusement. “Letting me?” she clarified. “Bruce, you know better than anyone that no one lets me doing anything.”

He snorted in agreement as he held up the card in the evidence bag to inspect it, his blue eyes narrowing. “Don’t I know it,” he uttered in exasperation. “Let’s go take a look at this card and see what we can find out.”

Diana followed him as he led her to his other work desk, this one reserved for evidence testing. She was going to do everything in her power to prove to him that he could fully trust her. She wanted to show him that happiness wasn’t something to be afraid of. Even the Dark Knight deserved to know contentment in his life.

Hopefully in time, he’d trust her enough to open up to her, feel that he can talk to her about what he had learned from his trip to the future that had him so rattled. Despite her deeper feelings for him, she was first and foremost his friend and wanted to help him even if he didn’t feel the same way about her.

She watched as he used tweezers to remove the card from the evidence bag, holding it up to a flame to reveal what the thief had left for them. “I see that all of us who live are nothing but images or insubstantial shadow,” she read.

“Sophocles,” Bruce muttered with a frown. 

Diana cursed in Greek, huffing her frustration that simmered right there beneath the surface. “This makes no sense,” she snapped, dropping into a chair beside him.

“Patience, Princess,” he told her as he showed her a card that he had obtained from a heist in France. “This card is from a heist he pulled in France last year. It has Sophocles on it as well.”

Diana took the card from him with a frown. “When a man has lost all happiness, he's not alive. Call him a breathing corpse,” she read out loud. “That’s quite depressing isn’t it?”

Bruce folded his arms against his muscular chest as he stared at her for a moment. “It seems our thief has suffered some sort of great loss in his life, something that has possibly driven him into this particular way of life.”

“Yes, but you suffered a great loss in your life, Bruce,” she pointed out, conviction in her voice. “You don’t go from one country to the next stealing whatever tickles your fancy. You use your past to drive and shape the future in order to help others. It’s far more worthy of admiration then stealing.”

“Everyone deals with loss in different ways, Princess,” he reminded her, thoughts of Selina and what had led to her life of crime filling his mind. “We have no idea what actually drove him to steal.”

She shook her head as she released a weary breath, running her fingers through her raven mane. “It still doesn’t give him the right to do it,” she decided with a scowl. “Hera only knows what he’s actually doing with these priceless artifacts, Bruce. If they end up on the black market, they could be lost forever.”

Bruce felt her sorrow and frustration, knew how passionate she was about antiquities. She, better than anyone else, understood the significance of these artifacts and their importance to the world. Of course, being over a thousand years old, she was around when some of these artifacts were crafted, making it far more personal to her.

“We’ll find him, Diana,” he reassured her, reaching over to take her hand in his. He loved the feel of her hand in his, her skin so soft and warm. “We won’t stop until he’s caught.”

“I know,” she agreed with a nod, her spirits lifted by his steel-like confidence. She squeezed his hand in response, forcing herself to release it. She knew they had to focus on the investigation now, not them. “So let’s check the microchip on this newest card so we can figure out where he’s going next.”

Taking a pair of tweezers again, Bruce began to probe the corners, finding the tiny microchip he was looking for. He carefully placed it into the computer program, anxious to see where their thief would be heading to next. While the computer ran, he decided it was time to share with her what he’d found so far.

“I checked all the Gotham hotels to see if I could find our thief,” he told her.

“And?” she asked, getting up out of her chair and moving to stand right next to him so she could see what he was doing.

“I found several possibilities,” he informed her, pulling over a laptop for her to look at.

She read over the names listed on the screen, none of them familiar or sticking out to her. “Have you been able to check out all of these names yet?”

“It’s not necessary to go through all of them,” he replied.

“Why not?”

“Because this name here…it’s a fake,” he told her, pointing to the third name down. “He rented the penthouse suite.”

“There is no Dean Wallace with this date of birth?” she asked.

“There is, but he died ten years ago in London, England in an automobile accident,” he revealed. “This man is our thief.”

“Well, let’s go to the hotel and get the security tapes so we can look through them.”

“Way ahead of you, Princess,” he answered with a smirk. “Already have them.”

Diana glared at him with all the haughty anger that thrummed through her veins, her eyes narrowing to dangerous blue flames. “And when were you planning on telling me this?”

“When you arrived with the calling card I wanted,” he informed her. “I figured you would be showing up tonight despite me telling you to stay in the infirmary.”

“That’s not funny, Bruce,” she bit out, her hands curling into fists. “From now on, we share every single bit of information involving this case with each other. Got it?”

“You’re the one who wouldn’t give up the card when I wanted it,” he muttered in annoyance as he pulled up the security tape from the hotel. “Did you really think I’d try to take it from the bodice of your dress?”

“When it comes to you? Who knows!” she exclaimed with unmistakable exasperation as she threw her hands up in the air. “You would have done everything in your power to continue to keep me out of this case and in the dark if I hadn’t held on to it.”

Bruce just looked at her like “what’s your point”, only further irking her. “I told you I work alone, Princess, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

Diana shook her head in amazement. “You are the most difficult, obstinate man I have ever met,” she decided. “You would most definitely give the gods a run for their money.”

Bruce couldn’t help but smirk at that. He couldn’t deny the fact that he tried everyone’s patience, but he always had his reasons. He just hoped that she hadn’t reached the end of her rope with him yet. He still had to find a way to keep her alive without losing his heart.

“It’s part of my charm,” he flirted.

“Sweet Aphrodite, Bruce,” she uttered with a lilting laugh that sounded like music echoing throughout the dank cave, his flirtatious comment disarming her. “So what’s our next move?”

An alarm on his computer sounded at that moment, letting him know that the program had decoded the microchip. He turned to the keyboard, hitting a few keys. He sat back in his chair in stunned disbelief, trying to wrap his mind around what he’d just uncovered.

Diana quickly picked up on the change in his demeanor. Whatever he’d found had certainly taken him by surprise which was a rare occurrence indeed. “What is it?”

“His next hit is here,” he revealed in stunned disbelief.

Diana felt as if she’d been punched in the gut as she stared at him. “What?” she whispered.

“He’s targeting my home,” he angrily growled.

**_Chicago; September 27th, 17:06 EST_ **

He tightly gripped his bags as he exited his taxi, refusing to allow anyone to carry them for him. He tilted his head back as he looked up at the hotel he’d made a reservation for, deciding that it would do for the few nights that he would be spending in the Windy City.

Approaching the front entrance, a bellhop opened the door for him, greeting him with a warm smile and a tip of his black cap. “Welcome to The Peninsula Chicago,” he welcomed him. “May I take your bags for you, sir?”

“No, thank you,” he replied with a tight smile.

“Front desk is right this way, sir,” the hotel employee directed him.

“Thank you,” he said with a nod, heading straight for the front desk. He had a lot of work to do before he went out tonight and couldn’t afford to waste too much time.

“How may I help you, sir?” a petite blond with a pretty face greeted him.

“I have a reservation for the penthouse suite.”

She quickly began typing on her computer, pausing to tuck a blond lock behind her ear. She peered up nervously through her eyes lashes, impressed with his stunning good looks. “Ah, yes,” she said after several long moments, trying to hide how flustered he was making her with his intense gaze. “I have it right here, Mister Ackerman.”

Taking his key card, he flashed her a charming smile that only seemed to make her melt a little more. “Thank you for your assistance…Hannah,” he replied with his distinct English accent, reading her name on her nametag. “Please…call me Peter.”

“It’s my pleasure, Peter,” Hannah reassured him. “Please do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything that you need…anything at all.”

“I can guarantee that you will be the first person I call,” he told her, allowing his charm to have its desired effect on her.

Her cheeks stained a faint shade of pink as her smile brightened even more. “I’d like that,” she softly said. “I mean…I hope you do.”

“What time does your shift end?” he asked as he leaned his elbow on top of her desk.

“Six,” she informed him with bated breath, hope brimming in her green eyes.

“This is my first time in Chicago,” he revealed. “Would you be available to show me around a little when you get done with your shift?”

“I’d love to,” she agreed. “I can be ready by seven.”

“I’ll meet you here in the lobby at seven then.”

Hannah grinned from ear to ear, hardly believing her luck. “I’ll see you then.”

He gave her a wink before turning and heading towards the elevators, tucking his key card into his pants pocket. He found himself actually looking forward to tonight. After meeting Wonder Woman in person, he was somewhat anxious for some female companionship even if just for a little while. He’d been working relentlessly lately, but decided that maybe taking a small break tonight wouldn’t be such a bad idea, especially if he could have a beautiful woman like Hannah in his bed.

Taking the elevator to his suite, he inserted his key card, entering and taking his bags to a nearby couch. He loosened his necktie as he made his way to the window, his scrutinizing gaze taking in the boisterous city below. Chicago held a much different energy compared to New York City and Gotham. He was anxious to experience it, to explore his new surroundings.

He was looking forward to getting his hands on the Heart of the Ocean Diamond sapphire necklace too. It was something that he wasn’t about to leave the States without. Nothing was going to stop him from getting his hands on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa...Bruce and Diana are still a couple of steps behind, but I'm sure they'll catch up eventually! This thief is good, but we all know Bruce and Diana are better especially when they work together. And speaking of together, when do you think they'll finally get around to telling each other how they feel? Well, I promise it will come sooner than you think. Thanks for the support! Your love keeps me writing. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**_Chicago; September 28th, 02:38 EST_ **

He stared up at the shadows that danced on the ceiling of his suite, the muffled sounds of the city that lay outside a white noise to his thoughts. His body still pulsated with the lingering results of his sexual encounter tonight. She had been magnificent, a much needed distraction from the things that always occupied his heart and mind at any given moment.

He could never truly escape it except for small periods of time like this when he could just lose himself in the physical act, letting his body and his instincts take over as his mind rapidly became fogged with unbelievable pleasure. It was a welcome respite to the fierce battle that he fought on a daily basis to remain in control.

But now, it was over, his body exhausted and sated at least for the moment. Unfortunately, his mind was still quite active with schemes and plans…memories that would not die even though dearly loved ones had. His heart clenched painfully with the dreadful reminder.

His arm instinctively tightened around Hannah who was sleeping peacefully at his side, his chest her pillow. He watched as she snuggled even deeper into his hold on her, a soft sigh escaping. Her hand caressed his chest even in her sleep as if sensing that he needed to be comforted.

He leisurely played with her blond curls, allowing the locks to wrap around his fingers before gently pulling free to start all over again. It felt almost peaceful here in this suite with her, but he knew it couldn’t last. Nothing good ever did for him.

He glanced to his right, his gaze falling to the trail of clothing that had begun somewhere after the door of his suite and ending with her panties on the floor of his bedroom. It really was a shame that he was only here for a couple more days before leaving once again. 

As tempting as it was to stay here for a while longer, he had an event in England that he needed to return for soon. Just thinking about the unimaginable treasures that Leo Vanover had been secretly procuring over the last seventy-five years was enough to make his heart race with excitement.

He knew that the list that he’d received with the invitation hadn’t begun to scratch the surface of what Vanover had accumulated. He had done some investigating of his own, discovering that a hundred invitations had been sent out, but less than half of those invited had actually confirmed their appearance.

Bruce Wayne had been invited, but had yet to send in his response. He was anxious to see if the playboy billionaire would be attending. While he had been anxious to personally meet him, the appearance of Wonder Woman at the Gotham Museum gala had ended up garnering his attention. 

With any luck, Wayne would end up appearing at the Vanover auction, allowing them a chance to finally meet. He’d done his research on the man who shared a similar past to his own. While Wayne appeared to enjoy the party life, he himself had taken on a more secluded lifestyle. He preferred to be alone, choosing his work over socializing. It had been that way ever since the accident.

With a pang in his chest, he carefully extricated himself from Hannah’s arms, hoping to not wake her. He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, holding his head in his hands as memory after memory washed over him in an attempt to drown him in the anguish they stirred.

Getting up, he silently made his way to the window, his arms folding against his chest as he stared out at the city. It had been a night so similar to this one, the air crisp with the approach of winter, but still holding hints of summer. It had started out as the best day of his life only to turn into his absolute worst.

A family day spent first at the zoo, then exploring the museum where his father worked before ending with dinner at his favorite restaurant. It had been the perfect way to celebrate a birthday until the drive home. His parents had been chatting, his father holding his mother’s hand as they ventured home. He and his sister had been laughing and talking incessantly about their day, practically bouncing with excitement about all they had seen and done.

And then, the moment came that irrevocably changed his life forever.

The thunderstorm…a drunk driver who ventured into their lane at high speed, the constant blare of the horn and the screams of his mother and sister. He swore he could hear their screams even now, heard them every night in his sleep. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to banish the images of all that blood…so much blood. Not even the downpour of rain that night could have washed away the red pools.

Why had he survived? Why couldn’t he have just died?

A large piece of him had died that night, never to be reborn again. No one could ever put the pieces of his soul back together again. Some had tried, but none had ever succeeded or stuck around long enough to keep trying. Women were mostly driven away by the dark brooding melancholy that took hold of him at any given moment, the bubbling pool of fury that lived inside of him.

He couldn’t really blame them, though. Sometimes, he couldn’t stand himself or what he had become because of the tragic event that had dramatically changed his life. The trauma of his past had sent him hurtling headlong on a direct course for more strife, but he couldn’t find the will to stop or to change.

The unexpected feel of gentle fingers trailing down his spine sent shivers racing through him, causing his every muscle to tense. Her fingers created a sensual trail down and over his hips before wrapping around his waist. She pressed herself fully against his back, her breath warm against his skin.

“What are you thinking about?” she softly asked.

“Nothing,” he automatically replied as his hands moved to cover hers resting on his abdomen. His chin fell to his chest as he tried to push the haunting memories away, memories that sucked all the air out of the room. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“You mean I didn’t wear you out enough?” she lightly teased, turning and pressing her lips against his shoulder blade.

He chuckled softly in response, his amusement turning into a groan of pleasure as she slowly kissed along his spine, her hand slipping down to his member. He sucked in a sharp breath as she began to stroke him, his entire body tense now for a completely different reason as her focused ministrations began to drive the demons from his mind.

Hannah moved to stand between him and the window, taking his face in her hands. “I guess I’m just going to have to remedy that,” she murmured seductively as she pulled him down for a heated kiss.

His arms snaked around her, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He kissed her like a man drowning; she is only salvation from the anger and resentment that consumed him. She was his sweet respite from the horrors that he’d seen and lived through, the long list of sins that punctuated his life.

At least for a few hours, he wouldn’t think about his parents or Ava…wouldn’t have to relive that dreadful night all over again.

**_Batcave; September 28th, 04:51 EST_ **

Diana couldn’t stop pacing despite the fact she was exhausted and it was going to be dawn soon. She was loathe to admit it to anyone, but she was still sore from her battle with Lashina. Her wounds had begun to heal, but they still burned at times as if Lashina’s electrical whips were still wrapped around her. 

She rubbed her forehead, her head pounding like a hammer on an anvil. Despite still recovering from her injuries, she was more than anxious for a fight, especially if it involved this elusive thief that seemed to be mocking them at every turn.

She didn’t like this cat and mouse game their thief was playing nor did she appreciate his egotistical ridicule with the calling cards that he left behind. It was something that only stirred her anger, making every day that went by without anymore leads that much more difficult to bear.

Tension pumped through her body, this waiting game driving her crazy. She was accustomed to charging in and doing battle, not this sneaking around and being two steps behind some narcissistic male pig who thought that he was invincible.

“Princess, you’re going to wear a path in the cave floor if you don’t stop pacing.”

Bruce’s admonishing tone only added to her simmering frustration. “How can you be so patient about this?” she asked, her hands finding her hips as she turned to glare at his back…the same back that had been facing her for what felt like hours now.

“We have no choice,” he calmly stated as he continued to type on his keyboard.

“We could go out there and scout the perimeter of the manor to see if we can find him before he strikes,” she suggested.

“He’s not going to strike,” Bruce replied.

“Bruce, what in Hera are you talking about?” she cried in exasperation. “His card indicated that this was going to be his next hit.”

He finally faced her, his expression stoic as always. “First, if he was going to strike tonight, he would’ve done it by now,” he began. “Secondly, I have every inch of this property equipped with the top security system that money can buy. Then, I personally enhanced it myself. There is no way that our thief is getting within a thousand yards of this house without me knowing about it. Thirdly, he’s already been here.”

Diana’s jaw nearly dropped by the unexpected revelation, her expression of pure irritation morphing into absolute shock. “What are you talking about?” she demanded to know. “When was he here?”

“Four days ago,” he revealed, turning his chair back to his computer.

Diana moved closer to him, leaning over his shoulder to study the computer screens he’d pulled up. “How do you know that?”

“Four days ago, I returned from patrol to find someone on the edge of the property,” he informed her.

“What happened?” she asked, growing edgy with the way that he was trickling out information a piece at a time. It proved to be infuriating to say the least.

“Nothing happened,” he stated, focusing on his work instead of their conversation.

Having had enough, Diana grabbed hold of his chair, whipping him around to fully face her. She placed her hands on the armrests of his chair, her nose nearly touching his. “Either tell me everything that happened or I begin taking the Batmobile apart with my bare hands one piece at a time until you do.”

The corner of his lips twitched in amusement, noticing once again how brightly her blue eyes smoldered when she was riled up. They practically glowed with the fiery spirit that burned inside of her, adding to her beauty. With a disgruntled sigh, he pushed the sensual thoughts aside, knowing she would make good on her threat if he didn’t cooperate.

“I figured it was just the paparazzi on the property,” he explained, calmly sitting back in his chair. He wasn’t trying to escape her ire, but a little distance between him and the temptation that her proximity presented seemed most prudent at this moment. “The paparazzi show up at least once or twice a week trying to get pictures, especially if there’s something big going on with me or Wayne Enterprises.”

She straightened up, crossing one arm across her chest to support her elbow as she thoughtfully cupped her chin with her other hand. “So you don’t think it was just some tabloid reporter showing up to get information this time?”

“I did at first, but when I went out there to investigate, I didn’t find anything whatsoever,” he continued. “There were no clues; no evidence there had even been anyone out there except for the security feed that caught a glimpse of a moving shadow. Usually when reporters show up and stake out my property, they leave food wrappers, cigarette butts, broken down twigs and branches. This person barely left footprints.”

“That’s very strange,” she commented, her brow furrowed in thought as she considered the revelation.

“Very,” he agreed. “It makes sense that it would be our thief checking out the area before striking. Any good robber worth his weight will scope out the area, see what he’s up against before attacking.”

“Now, the question is why hasn’t he shown up here at the manor yet?” Diana decided. “It seems that he would’ve made his move by now.”

“I’m not sure what he’s thinking right now,” Bruce admitted as he turned his chair back to his computer, feeling confident that she would no longer dismantle his prized car. 

“What are we going to do now?” she asked. “We can’t just stay here in the cave every night waiting for him to make his move. You definitely can’t miss patrolling Gotham.”

“Robin and Batgirl covered last night, but you’re right,” he told her. “You’re not going to stay here waiting for him.”

Diana’s lips curved into a frown, a ready argument dancing on her tongue. “What do you mean I’m not going to stay here?” she demanded to know. “I’m not leaving if there’s any chance that this thief will show up here.”

“You need to return to the Watchtower to sleep, Princess,” he insisted. “You’re still recovering from your injuries.”

“Bruce, I’m fine,” she heatedly replied.

“Then why do you keep rubbing your forehead and your side where your ribs are broken?” he asked without looking up at her.

Diana was stunned by his observation. She didn’t think that he’d been paying any attention to her, his focus solely on his computer. She should’ve known better. This was Bruce after all. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Diana, go get some sleep,” he stated a little more firmly. “He’s not going to show up during the day. Besides, I’m beginning to think that his plans have changed.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Just a feeling I have,” he muttered as he continued his research. 

Actually, it was because the mysterious Dean Wallace had checked out of the hotel he’d been staying at and hadn’t checked into any other hotels in Gotham. It led him to believe that something had caused their thief to leave town. He couldn’t help wondering if maybe Wonder Woman’s appearance at the museum gala hadn’t rattled him just a little bit, forcing him to move on before he was ready.

Diana’s lips twitched in annoyance. While she appreciated Bruce’s gut feelings and the fact that he was rarely if ever wrong, it irked her to no end that he refused to share any more information with her than “it’s just a gut feeling”. He knew far more than he was willing to tell her.

She abruptly realized that she was rubbing her forehead again, forcing her arm to drop to her side before Bruce picked up on it. That was the last thing she needed right now. She could take care of herself without him worrying about her. She’d gone into battles with far worse injuries than this.

“Diana, please,” he said, his tone surprisingly gentle and filled with something more he hadn’t meant to allow to seep through. “Go get some sleep. I promise I’ll call you the second I learn anything new.”

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him, trying to determine whether he was telling her the truth or if he was just saying that to get her to leave. “Promise?”

“Promise, Princess,” he told her, meeting her eyes.

She was somewhat stunned by the truth and openness that she found reflected there in his piercing blue orbs. It almost took her breath away, reminding her all over again why she felt such an intense attraction to him. It was brief moments just like these that gave her a flickering glimpse into the real Bruce. It always left her wanting so much more of him.

“Fine,” she relented with a sigh. She was too tired to fight at that moment. Besides, his explanation seemed plausible. It was almost morning. It would be ludicrous to attempt any sort of break-in now. “I’ll check in with you later this afternoon to see if you’ve found anything new.”

“Deal,” he decided with a nod.

“You know it wouldn’t hurt you to get some sleep as well,” she pointed out, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. “There’s not really much more we can do until he strikes again.”

“I need to research a few more things and then I’ll turn in for a few hours,” he reassured her.

“I’ll see you later then,” she agreed, forcing herself to retract her hand.

“Sleep well, Princess,” he softly said.

Bruce turned back to his computer, a twinge of regret taking him by surprise. He didn’t want her to leave, already missed the warmth of her hand on his shoulder. He wanted her to stay here with him, but he knew that he couldn’t ask her to stay. He had to let her leave. 

He felt himself relax minutely as the sound of the transporter signaled her return to the Watchtower. He couldn’t help noticing how lonely the cave suddenly seemed without her, devoid of her warm presence. It was as if all the light had just been sucked out of it the moment she disappeared from the transport pad. She made everything around her seem more brilliant, warmer and absolutely perfect. She made him feel alive when she was near—happiness, serenity, longing…love.

These were all things that he couldn’t afford to have, knowing they would only get in the way and divert his attention from his mission. If their lives were different, he wouldn’t have to fight this desire…these intense feelings on a daily basis. He could pursue her, court her, be tangled up every night with her and wake up to her beautiful smile every morning.

Frustrated beyond measure, Bruce leapt up from his chair, tipping it over in anger before stalking towards the training room. He needed to vent all of these emotions raging inside of him, his tortured heart unable to take much more of this. Why did life have to be so unfair?

He needed an outlet, one that didn’t involve him showing up at Diana’s door and in her bed, one that didn’t involve dragging her into his pit of darkness and further endangering her life more than it already was. He needed to find a resolution to this mess before it was too late.

**_New York City; September 28th, 05:57 EST_ **

Diana appeared on the balcony of her sister’s apartment as the sun was just beginning to illuminate the city’s skyline. Despite being tired and sore all over, she really needed to talk to someone about her feelings for Bruce. Donna was really all she had here that she felt like she could talk to about this. Shayera would’ve been another, but that friendship ended the second she betrayed them to the Thanagarians.

Diana knew that it was early, but she also knew her sister would be up. Donna had a shift on the Watchtower in a couple of hours. She usually liked to get there early to meet up with her friends in the commissary in order to catch up on the current gossip before starting her monitor duty shift.

Reaching for the handle to the balcony door, Diana turned it silently, poking her head in to find it quiet inside. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe Donna was still asleep. She floated into the apartment, deciding to go to the kitchen to start some coffee and hopefully find something for breakfast.

Entering the kitchen, she was stunned to find Dick standing in the kitchen in nothing but his boxer shorts. “Oh…um…hi,” Diana stammered in embarrassment as she averted her eyes. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

Dick smiled broadly, not the least bit flustered by the fact that he was standing in Donna’s kitchen in his underwear and nothing else. “Morning, Diana,” he greeted her with a grin. “Blüdhaven was quiet last night so I came over to see Donna.”

“Dick, who are you—” Donna began as she entered the kitchen wearing nothing but Dick’s t-shirt. She stopped short at the sight of her sister, surprised by her unexpected appearance. “Diana!”

Donna quickly engulfed her sister in a hug which Diana returned in full. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in on the two of you like this,” she told them. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, I was just about to make Donna some breakfast,” Dick replied. “Want some eggs?”

“Sure,” Diana decided, “as long as you’re sure you don’t mind me invading your private time.”

“Not at all,” Donna reassured her, taking her by the hand and pulling her to the small table in the kitchen. “You can keep me company while Dick cooks.”

“I’m just going to grab a shirt,” Dick announced. “I’ll be right back.”

Donna got up and poured herself and her sister a cup of coffee before heading back to the table. “So tell me what’s going on?”

Diana glanced at her over the lip of her coffee cup, trying to decide if she still wanted to talk about it with Dick here. “Nothing really,” she tentatively replied, her attention focused on the dark liquid inside her cup.

Donna frowned as she studied her sister, her brow furrowed in disbelief. “Diana,” she chided her. “Remember, I have a piece of your soul. I know how you’re feeling and something is definitely weighing heavily on your mind. What’s going on?”

She looked up as Dick reentered the kitchen wearing a t-shirt and workout shorts. “So how would you like your eggs, ladies?”

“Scrambled,” the sisters decided at the same time.

“Okay, that’s just eerie,” he said as he went to the fridge to retrieve the carton of eggs as well as some onions and peppers.

“Well, we are soul-sisters,” Donna reminded him. “Something is on Diana’s mind and I have a feeling it involves your father, Dick.”

Dick looked up sharply from the frying pan, a scowl on his face. “What did he do now?” he asked. “Do I need to go over there and talk some sense into him?”

Diana readily shook her head, pursing her lips. “He didn’t do anything wrong,” she replied with a sigh. “It’s just…I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You’re in love with Bruce, but he refuses to have a relationship with you,” Donna stated.

Diana stared at her sister in stunned disbelief. “Donna, I’m not in love with Bruce,” she responded.

“You might not be ready to admit it to yourself, but I know that you have feelings for him,” Donna pointed out.

Diana glanced at Dick out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he thought about the revelation. He was leaning against the edge of the counter with his muscular arms folded against his chest and a grim expression on his face that was totally unreadable. Was he upset that she had feelings for his father?

“Yes, I do have feelings for Bruce, but I’m not sure what exactly they are or what to do about them,” she admitted.

Donna reached across the table, placing her hand on top of her sister’s. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m not sure,” Diana confessed with a sigh as she stared at her coffee cup. “I had broached the notion of us to Bruce several months ago and he shot me down.”

“He shot you down?” Donna practically yelled, clearly upset about the revelation.

“I’m not surprised,” Dick bit out as he began cracking eggs. “What did he do? Give you a list of reasons why it would never work?”

Diana sat up straighter in her chair as she stared at Dick in stunned disbelief. “How did you know? Did he tell you?”

“No, it’s because I know Bruce,” Dick said with a grunt. “Let me guess—never mix business with pleasure or my mission comes before happiness.”

“Close,” Diana replied, holding up a finger for each reason that he had listed off to her that night. “Dating within the League always leads to disaster, I’m an immortal princess from a mythical island and he’s a rich kid with lots of issues, and…this is my personal favorite…my enemies might try to get to me if they knew I had someone special in my life.”

Dick and Donna both burst into laughter with the ridiculous reasons causing Diana to instantly prickle with anger. She didn’t come here to bash Bruce or to make fun of his issues. She’d only wanted some advice about what to do about her feelings for him.

Sensing her displeasure, Donna held up a hand in an attempt to assuage her ire. “We’re not laughing at Bruce, Di,” she reassured her. “It’s just that the last reason he gave was completely ludicrous. Does he not remember who you are? You’re the most powerful woman in the whole world.”

“Yah, Di,” Dick agreed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “It’s true Bruce does have plenty of issues that he wrestles with on a daily basis, but I’m sure the two of you could work through anything that came your way. Nobody can handle him better than you except for Alfred.”

“It doesn’t matter because he obviously doesn’t have any feelings for me,” Diana interjected, cupping her chin with her hand as her elbow came to rest on top of the table.

Dick and Donna glanced at each other, sharing a knowing look. “I wouldn’t go that far, Di,” Donna said.

“I would have to agree with Troia,” Dick quickly added as he brought them each a plate of eggs. “Bruce didn’t just come up with that list of reasons off the top of his head like that. He’s not like that.”

A raven eyebrow arched as she studied Dick for a long moment, trying to decide if he was telling her the truth. “You really think so?” she asked.

“Definitely,” he said with a definitive nod as he sat down between the sisters with his own plate of breakfast. “Look, Di. I’ve known Bruce since I was a kid. He analyzes everything to death…even his love life. He’ll study and question it from every angle. He has obviously been thinking a lot about you if he came up with a whole list of reasons that the two of you shouldn’t date.”

“Maybe,” she muttered with a sigh as she poked at her eggs with the tines of her fork, still feeling uncertain about it.

She understood what Dick was saying, knew in her heart that that was just the way Bruce was. The problem was trying to reconcile it all with the way that he acted towards her. He was always so dismissive towards her, annoyed by her appearance and anxious for the moment that she left.

Donna glanced at Dick, wishing there was something they could do to cheer her sister up. “Don’t give up, Diana,” she encouraged her sister. “I’m sure things will work out with Bruce.”

“I don’t even know for sure what ‘it’ is that I feel for him,” Diana thoughtfully replied. “I know it’s definitely more than friendship, but I’m not sure it’s really love. I mean I think it is, but what if it’s not?”

“Just trust yourself and follow your heart,” Donna told her. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll all work out between you.”

“Just know that if you pursue this with him, you’ll have an uphill battle on your hands,” Dick warned her. “He has a thick outer shell that seems impossible to crack through, but it’s not hopeless. If anyone can get through to him, it’ll be you, Di. He responds to you in a way that I’ve never seen before.”

She gave him a small smile, appreciating their encouragement. “I’m not sure about that, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“He desperately needs someone like you,” Dick said with heartfelt sincerity. “It’s true that he and I haven’t always gotten along and he can really be a pain in the ass at times, but he has a good heart. No one in this world deserves to have happiness and love more than Bruce.”

Diana felt her heart melt as she thought about Bruce. She couldn’t agree more with Dick’s words. He could push her to the point that she wanted to throttle him, but, at the same time, there were so many other things about him that made her insides tingle and her heart race.

Dick and Donna noticed the dreamy expression that graced the Amazon princess’s face, the emotion that permeated her eyes. They grinned at each other, both knowing they were probably going to have to give their two favorite people a little push in the right direction, but it would all be worth it in the end.

“I’ve intruded on you two long enough,” Diana decided as she stood to her feet, pushing her chair back as well as her uneaten breakfast.

“You’re not intruding,” Dick insisted. “I have to get going soon anyway. I’ve got a shift in Blüdhaven soon.”

“And I have monitor duty,” Donna added.

“See?” Diana pointed out. “Perfect reason to give you some alone time before you have to leave to start your day.”

“Call me later,” Donna told her. “We’ll meet up for lunch and shopping. I’m in dire need of some new shoes.”

“Really, Troia?” Dick questioned her.

“It depends on the case Bruce and I are working on together right now,” Diana replied.

Dick looked at Diana with shock written all over his face. “Bruce is letting you work on a case with him?”

“Yes…why?” she asked with a frown.

“That’s huge,” Dick told her. “Bruce never lets anyone help him on a case. That right there speaks volumes about his feelings for you, Diana.”

“I don’t know, Dick,” Diana countered with a shake of her head. “I didn’t exactly give him a choice on it. He tried several times to keep me away, but I refused to leave. I basically gave him no other option.”

“Doesn’t matter, Di,” Dick said with a grin. “He’d still find a way to do it without you if he didn’t want you there.”

“If you say so,” she responded, clearly still unconvinced. “Thanks you two. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Di,” Donna called as Diana left, turning to Dick. “Bruce is head over heels in love with my sister, isn’t he?”

“Absolutely,” Dick agreed. “If I hadn’t been convinced before, I definitely am now after talking to Diana. Bruce letting her help him on this case is so huge.”

Donna sighed as she took Dick’s hand in hers. “I’m just worried he’s going to end up hurting her,” she admitted. “I know Bruce is a good man at heart, but he is really broken. Is he going to be able to give her everything that she deserves?”

“He will if she can get him to open his eyes to what he has right in front of him,” he decided.

“She’s in love with him,” Donna revealed. “I can feel how her heart races when she talks about him, the way her eyes practically sparkle. I think deep down she’s afraid of being rejected by him again. It’s easier to pretend she’s not in love with him than it is to admit it and accept it.”

Dick squeezed her hand in understanding. “Don’t worry, Troia,” he gently said. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

“I guess so,” she replied, standing to her feet to stand beside him.

Dick pushed his chair back with a crooked grin, his hands coming to rest on either side of her hips. “You guess so?” he huskily questioned her. “Don’t you have more faith in me than that?”

She smirked as she moved to straddle his lap, her hands coming to rest on his muscular chest. “Maybe I need a little reassuring,” she flirted, leaning in to nip at his bottom lip.

His hands worked their way beneath the edge of his t-shirt she was wearing, breakfast completely forgotten for the moment. “You know I think you do,” he agreed. “As much as I love seeing you in my t-shirt, I think I love seeing you out of it even more.”

Donna lifted her arms above her head, allowing him to lift the shirt off her body before tossing it onto the kitchen floor. “Hmmm…I can feel just how much you love seeing me naked.”

He groaned as she ground her hips against him, his lips capturing hers in a heated kiss as his hands roamed over her back. He savored the softness of her skin and the press of her full breasts against his chest. He needed to be skin against skin with her again, to be deep inside of her where he’d just been a few hours ago.

Picking her up, he carried his lover to the bathroom, deciding that sharing a shower with her was a definite necessity now, especially seeing how they both needed to be leaving here soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've learned a little more about the thief, but there is still so much more that will be coming out about him. Bruce and Diana...what can I say? They're definitely a hot mess, but I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, right? Thank you all for reading and reviewing! You keep me writing. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**_Batcave; September 28th, 00:09 EST_ **

Diana stared at Bruce’s chiseled profile, wondering how long he was going to sit there and ignore her. So far, he was up to forty-nine minutes and going strong. Quite impressive if she really thought about it. She had no doubt that he could go probably for weeks without talking if he really felt the need.

She couldn’t help admiring his enticing physique, the way that his t-shirt seemed to hug his body like a well-fitting glove. He was true perfection from head to toe, every single inch of him like sculpted marble that she found herself more than a little eager to explore.

Talking to Dick and Donna this morning had helped her see that these feelings were definitely not going away and, in fact, never really had if she was honest with herself. The feelings of attraction that she thought that she had locked away had in fact been lingering inside of her and growing stronger with time.

It was somewhat startling to her that she had been able to turn a blind eye to these feelings for Bruce only to discover now that they were stronger than ever before. This desire for him definitely refused to be ignored this time around. The problem now was what she was actually going to do about it.

Bruce drew a couple of deep breaths through his nose, doing his best to concentrate on his work, but it was next to impossible with the Princess of the Amazons sitting right next to him staring at him, her tantalizing scent assaulting him. The last fifty-four minutes had been absolutely excruciating.

It hadn’t helped in the least when she’d crossed those sexy long legs and began to gently swing it back and forth. It lightly brushed his calf about every fourth swing. Yes, he’d been counting, mostly because it continually sent jolts of electricity through him each time they touched.

“Are you planning on staring at me all night?” he finally growled in overt annoyance, his baritone voice rumbling through the cave.

“Are you planning on ignoring me all night?” she readily shot back, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in an unmistakable challenge.

Bruce made the mistake of glancing at her, fully appreciating the seductive swing of her leg, the way that her blue shirt made her eyes impossibly bluer. His throat went dry as a raven curl decided to fall across her brow at that precise moment, his fingers itching to touch her silken locks.

“I’m not ignoring you,” he stated far harsher than he had intended to sound. “I’m setting up more security cameras around the property in case our thief does decide to come back.”

He didn’t realize his mistake in telling her that until she leaned forward into his personal space, her shoulder pressing against his to get a closer look at the computer monitors. Her long hair slipped over her shoulder to brush against his neck, causing gooseflesh to ripple over his skin. He swore it had just gotten a hundred degrees hotter in the cave.

“I thought you said he probably moved on,” she questioned him.

“I do think that, but it doesn’t mean that he might not come back here to try again at some point,” he retorted, silently begging her to sit back away from him again before his last thread of control finally snapped for good.

“Bruce, why don’t you go out on patrol?” she suggested as she sat back in her seat, mistaking his overt agitation as needing to get out of here and into his city for the night. “I can watch things for you here while you’re out and call you right away if our thief does show up.”

He considered her proposal for a moment. It did make sense to let her watch things here while he went out. She couldn’t get into too much trouble here in the cave. Besides, she’d be here where it was safe instead of out there on some mission where he couldn’t keep an eye on her, getting herself killed in some gruesome way.

The thought made him ill to his core.

“Are you all right?” she asked, her hand lightly coming to rest on his back. “You looked really pale there for a moment.”

“I’m fine,” he bit out, straightening up in his chair. “I need to be here tonight. I have a feeling he’s going to make his next move tonight…just not here.”

Diana sat forward again, her elbow coming to rest on her knee as she cupped her chin. “Any idea where?”

“None,” he rasped despite being out of uniform. “Still, I want to be here when he does so we can hopefully get to the crime scene in time to stop him.”

Diana studied him for a moment before speaking again, her thoughts drifting back to the museum gala. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Bruce instantly stiffened, his jaw muscles contracting almost painfully. “You can try,” he said. “Might not get the answer you want.”

“Are you and Selina together?”

Bruce nearly choked on his coffee as he took a drink. Whatever he thought she was going to ask him, it definitely wasn’t that. He turned to look at her with a frown, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t know,” she hesitantly replied, her forehead creasing in thought. “You two seemed pretty intimate at the museum gala and I just—”

“I didn’t kiss her. Selina kissed me,” he defended himself for reasons that he didn’t want to go into right now. “It was just for appearances.”

“Because if you’re sleeping with her…” Diana continued as if she hadn’t heard him, fighting to keep the hurt out of her voice as she tried to sort through her thoughts. “I mean I know it’s none of my business, but if you and Selina are—”

“I’m not sleeping with Selina,” he heatedly stated in no uncertain terms, wondering where all of this was suddenly coming from. He felt a sense of desperation to make her understand that he wasn’t romantically involved with anyone. “I’m not with anyone, Diana. You know that I don’t have time for a relationship.”

She felt her heart clench with his adamant response. Did he really feel that way or was he just afraid of being in one? She felt the inexplicable need to know more about him and why he really didn’t want to pursue a relationship with her. “And yet you’ve been involved with several women over the years,” she pointed out, masking the jealousy she felt clogging her throat.

“Yes, I’ve been in quite a few relationships over the years, but none of them have ever worked out,” he found himself confessing to her. “I decided it was best not to get involved with anyone after Selina. There’s no room for love in my life.”

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t met the right woman yet,” she ventured, hope lacing her voice. “Or maybe you have, but you’re too afraid to try again.”

“I’m not afraid for myself, Princess,” he countered, his heart beginning to beat a little harder as he lost himself in the compassionate understanding and acceptance he found reflected there in her cerulean blue eyes. “I’m afraid for her, not myself.”

“I’m sure she’s more than capable of taking care of herself,” she offered, praying that he was talking about her. She was afraid to get her hopes up, though.

“She doesn’t understand the dark depravity that consumes the world that I live in,” he admitted, finding it easier to talk about an unidentified “she” than to fully admit it was her. All he’d wanted was her ever since he’d met her. “It would taint her…destroy her. I can’t ever allow that to happen…not to her.” _Not to you…never you, Princess._

He wanted to give voice to the words that hid in the secret places of his heart and mind, but he knew that he couldn’t. Giving voice to his feelings would only make things that much harder, giving her hope for something that never could be despite his elder self’s warnings. There had to be another way.

The unexpected flutter that had been steadily building in the pit of her stomach since they’d started talking was about to erupt. “I think she’s a lot stronger than you give her credit for,” she softly replied, finding herself leaning in closer to him.

His intense gaze fell to her lips, his desire for this woman almost unbearable. It would be so very easy to just give in to what he wanted so desperately, to take her and ravage her for the rest of his life, but what he wanted wasn’t what was best for her.

“Help her to understand, Bruce,” she pleaded with him. “She wants to understand and help you more than you can begin to imagine.”

Before he realized what he was doing, his lips were searching for hers, finding them in a heated rush of pent-up desire. His fingers tangled in her hair as he tasted her with an urgency that barely scraped the edges of his desperate need for her. 

He did his best to keep a tight rein on his hunger that was roaring to the surface, demanding to be acknowledged…to be satiated by the only one he’d wanted for so very long now, but it was proving more than difficult. It was an inner battle that he was at great risk of losing as her hands began to roam over his chest, her teeth raking over his bottom lip.

Her taste was intoxicating, better than even he remembered from the Indian restaurant. She was a stunning combination of fiery spirit and purity of heart that permeated every fiber of her being, beautiful and perfect in every way. He never wanted to stop kissing her, never wanted to let her go.

Just as his brain started telling him how wrong this was, she deepened the already heated kiss, her tongue sliding against his in a fierce battle of wills to dominate the other. He moaned something deep and primal as he pulled her even closer, his lungs burning in protest, but he ignored it. He drank her in like a man dying of thirst, feeling whole and complete and wonderful for the first time in his life.

Diana broke the kiss with a sharp gasp, her forehead coming to rest against his cheekbone. She turned her head slightly, her lips brushing against his face. She hadn’t wanted that passionate kiss to end, but the need to breathe in more than him had become far too demanding to ignore.

“Diana, I—” Bruce began, his breathing labored and his mind clouded with longing as well as warring emotions that refused to be silenced.

At that moment, however, his computer alert sounded, forcing him to untangle himself from Diana with a fierce growling curse. Diana tucked a raven curl behind her ear as she breathed heavily, her heart racing with desire for this man. She forced herself to focus on why she was here in the first place, but it was next to impossible with the passion still pulsating through her.

“What is it?” she asked as she got to her feet, trying to temper the hunger for him that was coursing through her.

“There’s a robbery in Chicago matching the profile of our thief,” he revealed as he furiously typed on his keyboard. “I’m downloading the coordinated now. Go get changed.”

Backing up, Diana spun in a circle, transforming into her uniform in a flash of light right before Bruce’s eyes. “Ready,” she stated with a smirk.

Bruce scowled as he stood to his feet, already dressed in his uniform pants, boots, and undershirt. “I hate magic,” he groused under his breath as he reached for his uniform top, cowl, and gauntlets.

_**Chicago; September 29th; 00:16 EST** _

Wonder Woman and Batman appeared in a flash of bright light, both of them off and running the second that their boots hit solid ground again. They were both anxious to get their hands on this thief for differing reasons, but their determination was indomitable. Combined they made a fearsome force to be reckoned with.

Batman had relayed strict instructions to the police to not touch anything just before they had transported to the site of the robbery. He was not about to risk someone contaminating the crime scene or inappropriately handling evidence that could potentially lead them to solving this case.

They raced up the steps inside the building, alarms blaring loudly and lights flashing. They found police officers tending to a couple of security guards lying unconscious on the ground, four more officers roping off the crime scene. They all stopped to see what the famous superheroes would do now, one of them stepping forward.

“We kept everything just as you requested, Batman,” the police officer informed him.

Batman only nodded in response as he swept past him, forcing Diana to be the arbitrator at that moment. “Thank you for your assistance,” Diana told him with a smile, trying to ease the tense fear that Batman’s appearance always created no matter the situation. 

Despite being a respected member of the Justice League, he still terrified people to no end, making them feel uneasy and on guard. She knew he was rough around the edges when it came to dealing with others at times, but it leant very well to the fear-inducing impression that he’d cultivated for himself. She still felt the need to lessen the fear and anxiety that his presence always seemed to provoke in those around him.

Batman stalked directly towards the glass display case, the slits of his cowl narrowed in concentration as he focused on the scene before him. He couldn’t deny the relief he felt with the knowledge that the thief had moved on from Gotham and Wayne Manor. At the same time, he was anxious to get this case wrapped up and this thief behind bars so he could focus on what he was going to do about Diana.

Right now, it was better keeping her with him than not knowing where she was at or what trouble she was getting herself into. He couldn’t focus on keeping her alive and catching this thief at the same time. He was just going to have to work extra hard at keeping a tight leash on his heart if he was going to be spending this much time with her. 

That passionate kiss had been more amazing than his dreams, leaving him wanting so much more of her. He still wasn’t convinced that pursuing her was a good idea. Right now, the notion of them would have to wait as he worked to find their thief.

Coming to a stop beside him, Diana noticed the white calling card the thief had left behind, propped up against the display where the necklace had once been. She was thankful that the thief had moved on from Wayne Manor, Bruce’s secret still safely guarded. However, he would’ve been easier to catch going up against Bruce and his advanced security system than having him running here and there across the globe.

She began to reach for the card, only to find gauntleted fingers unexpectedly wrapping around her wrist in a firm hold that surprised her. She turned a murderous eye on him, confused as to why he would stop her. “Wait,” he rasped as he finally released his hold on her. “Give me a minute.”

Diana relented with a frown, retracting her hand and watching as Batman went to work, doing what he did best. She crossed her arms over her chest, her brow furrowing as she observed the detective slowly walking around the glass display case. She wasn’t certain what exactly he was looking for, but he obviously knew what he was doing. They didn’t call him the World’s Greatest Detective for nothing.

After walking around the display case a couple of times, Batman pulled a small kit from one of the pouches of his utility belt. Opening it up, he carefully began dusting for prints, using tweezers to collect a hair or a fiber…she wasn’t certain which at this point as her patience began to dwindle. He tucked the small evidence bag inside one of his pouches as he continued to study the crime scene.

After what felt like an eternity of studying, collecting evidence, and taking several pictures, Batman finally reached out to pick up the white card by its edges. She was about ready to crawl out of her skin, more than anxious to get the card back to the Batcave to see what the clue was that was hidden on it. She wanted to know where his next hit was going to take place so she could be there waiting for him to arrive.

It made her furious to think that he had been right there at the museum gala with her and she had completely missed him. It wounded her Amazonian pride. She’d tried to think back to that night, to the various people that she had seen and talked to, but there had been so many people that night.

“Let’s go,” Batman rasped as he unexpectedly whirled on his heel and began to stalk away.

With frown on her lips, Diana followed him, uncertain of what he was up to. “Don’t we want to check the security cameras to see if they caught anything?”

“They didn’t,” he stated. “Let’s go.”

Batman continued walking, knowing that she would keep up with him. This was why he liked to work alone. He didn’t have to explain every single little thing that he did or thought, followed up with an in-depth explanation of why. Because it was her, he paused in his step, allowing her to catch up.

“But what about—” she began.

“We have everything we need, Princess,” he told her.

Frustrated, Diana followed Batman outside, stepping onto the night. More cop cars had arrived, police now swarming the building. She was surprised as Batman began to make his way around to the back of the building. Questions danced on her tongue, begging to be asked, but she knew better.

She silently followed him, her curiosity mounting. Asking him what he was doing was beyond futile. He would only reveal as much as he wanted to and only when he was absolutely ready. He obviously wasn’t ready to divulge anything just yet.

The back of the building was unlit, but it didn’t seem to deter him in the least as he made his way to some bushes. Pulling out his flashlight, he began to look around, but for what she wasn’t certain. Intrigued, she stood directly behind him, looking over his shoulder to see what he was up to.

He could feel her almost pressed up against his back, his lips twitching with amusement. He continued to search the area, ultimately spotting what he was looking for. “Hold this,” he told her, handing her his flashlight.

Taking it, Diana watched as Batman pushed aside branches, exposing a ventilation shaft. The cover had been removed from the opening and propped up against the building. Batman crouched down to inspect the ground around it, a low growl of annoyance emanating from his throat.

“What is it?”

“The dirt has been raked over to erase any shoeprints the thief would’ve left behind,” he growled.

“Hera,” she muttered in anger. “What kind of thief are we up against?”

“He’s very good…one of the best that I’ve ever seen,” Batman muttered.

“Even better than Selina?” she asked, disdain coloring her voice.

Batman glanced back over his shoulder at her, detecting some animosity towards the feline thief. He found it rather amusing if not vindicating. “Actually…yes,” he admitted.

“So are we going in?”

“No need,” he replied, straightening up to his full imposing height. “We won’t find anything.”

“You sound pretty confident,” she told him, handing him his flashlight.

“That’s because I am,” he cockily informed her. “Time to see what sort of clue he left us this time.”

“I’m more than ready to put a stop to this guy,” she stated. “He’s gotten away with too much for far too long.”

“Agreed,” he said, his hand reaching for his commlink. “Batman to Watchtower.”

“Hey, Batman,” Superman responded. “What can I do for you?”

“Two for transport to these coordinates,” he instructed him.

“Transporting now,” Superman informed him. “Hey, tell Diana that I need—”

Batman cut the transmission before he could finish, not wanting to hear about whatever it was that Clark wanted with Diana. “Call Superman when you get a minute,” he told her.

“About what?”

“Don’t know and don’t care,” he replied as they disappeared only to reappear where they had started.

Materializing in the dimly lit Batcave, Batman reached up and yanked his cowl off, letting it rest against his back. He made a beeline for his lab, anxious to see what their thief was up to next. The soft click of her red boots against the floor told him she was following him.

Alfred seemed to appear out of nowhere, a tray of sandwiches and a carafe of coffee in hand. “Welcome home,” he greeted them with a smile.”I thought you two might be hungry.”

“Alfred, you’re wonderful,” Diana replied, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you, but you really didn’t need to go to all this work for us.”

“It was no trouble at all,” he said with a pleased smile. “I’m just so happy to see you spending more time here, Miss Diana.”

Bruce shot Alfred a menacing glare which the British butler duly ignored. “Come on, Princess,” he growled. “We have work to do.”

“Bruce,” Diana chided him.

“I won’t keep you two,” Alfred said. “Please do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything else you require like a bedroom to spend the night.”

“She won’t be staying that long,” Bruce interjected.

Diana’s hand came to rest affectionately on Alfred’s shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, but thank you for thinking of me.”

“Master Bruce actually does care,” Alfred revealed in a conspiratorial tone as he glanced at the younger man. “He just doesn’t quite know how to show it.”

Diana chuckled with the deadly glare that Bruce gave his surrogate father. She knew there was a definite undercurrent of adoration between the two men, especially when Alfred just smiled broadly at Bruce. He seemed to be impervious to the infamous Batglare.

“Don’t you have something to clean?” Bruce asked.

“I actually have a cup of tea waiting for me upstairs.”

“Good night, Alfred,” Diana said as the butler departed.

Turning her attention to the man who had been occupying her thoughts as well as her dreams, Diana watched as Bruce held the card up to a flame, blood red letters appearing on the small blank canvas that had been left behind for them to find. 

“The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?” she read out loud.

“Edgar Allan Poe,” Bruce muttered as he contemplated the newest clue into this mysterious thief. “He’s certainly obsessed with death. Something tragic definitely happened to this man.”

“Let’s see what the microchip tells us,” she said, her edginess growing.

“Patience, Princess,” he cautioned her. “He’s telling us something with all of these quotes. We just have to figure out what it is.”

“That he’s delusional and narcissistic?” she asked. “We’ve pretty much already established that fact.”

“Something is driving him and his compulsion to steal, some underlying psychology that we haven’t discovered yet,” he told her, feeling as though there was something that he was failing to see here. “There’s a fundamental basis for all of this.”

In a way, he felt like he understood the thief’s pain that was pulling him into this stealing spree, some traumatic loss the driving force behind his choices. While he didn’t agree with the stealing, he found he understood it in a strange way.

“You sound like you almost admire him,” she said, somewhat taken aback.

“In a way, I guess I do,” he murmured as he began to search for the microchip that would reveal his next destination. “He seems like a lost soul, someone who has experienced a great loss and is searching for something to make his world right again.”

Diana felt a wave of sympathy wash through her, knowing that he still wrestled with the horrifying demons from his past. She wished that she could take away his pain or, at the very least, prove to him that he could have happiness and love in his life despite what he’d suffered in the past.

“Got it,” he announced as he pulled the microchip free from the corner of the card. “Let’s see where he’s headed next.”

Loading the chip into his computer, he leaned back in his chair, feeling the heat of Diana’s gaze on him. He wondered if she was going to bring up that heated kiss they had shared before the alert had come across his computer about the theft. He found his desire to kiss her again intensifying with every second that passed by. He had hoped that kissing her would’ve gotten it out of his system. Instead, it only made him want her that much more. He needed to think logically about this with his head and not his…other body parts.

The first truth—he was attracted to her. There was no reason to deny it. It was logical that he would be drawn to her beauty. He was a man after all. It was only natural. But that was all that it was—an attraction. Nothing more. Right?

He wasn’t willing to jeopardize his commitment to Gotham or his friendship with Diana over something as primal and basic as simple lust. She deserved far more than just a one night stand to satisfy his urges or a meaningless fling that would only end up breaking her heart. Yes, it would possibly change the timeline enough to save her life, but it would end up crushing her in the end.

He’d learned to control and suppress his physical needs a long time ago. It would be no different this time. He would just double his efforts in repressing this attraction to her and then life could finally get back to normal around here. That’s what he tried to tell himself, but even he knew that was nonsense.

He loved her…loved her more than he had ever loved another woman. There was no ignoring it or pretending it wasn’t right there beneath the surface desperate to be returned and consummated. Despite what Alfred had said, he still wasn’t entirely convinced that Diana felt more for him than just attraction.

Diana bit at her bottom lip, uncertain about whether to bring up the kiss or not. They really needed to talk about it, deciding where they should go from here. Unfortunately, she felt him shutting down and shutting her out again. She didn’t think she could handle his hot and cold demeanor towards her much longer without slamming him against the wall and demanding that he talk to her. Of course, breaking his bones wouldn’t get her the answers that she wanted.

“Here it is,” Bruce abruptly said, sitting forward once more, more than thankful the tense silence was over.

“Where is he going next?”

Bruce frowned with the revelation, his attention locked on his computer screen. “Cambridge, England.”

“England?” Diana murmured thoughtfully. “What could be there that would capture his attention?”

“I believe I know,” Bruce replied, his gaze falling to the invitation to the Leo Vanover estate auction coming up next weekend that Alfred had left on his work desk.

**_The Chicago Peninsula; September 29th, 00:56 EST_ **

Hannah shifted in the enormous bed, stretching her arms above her head before burrowing deeper into the expensive silk sheets that surrounded her. These last couple of nights spent with Peter had been more amazing than anything she’d ever experienced before. She was already beginning to fall for him and she’d only known him for two days.

She sighed in utter contentment as she reached to her side, finding nothing but an empty bed and cool sheets. With a frown on her lips, she sat up, holding the sheet against her chest as she looked around the room to find it empty. “Peter?” she called, receiving no response.

Pushing the covers aside, she got out of bed and began to look for her lover only to find herself all alone in the penthouse suite. Returning to the bedroom, she went to her cell phone, hoping that maybe he had left her a message or something to let her know where he had gone.

She had thought with the repeat performance of their passionate activities tonight that he would’ve been too exhausted to leave her side. Last night, he’d had a nightmare that had woken her out of her sleep. She couldn’t help wondering if he’d had another one.

Checking her cell phone, she found no messages from him. Reaching for the hotel phone to call down to the front, she paused when she heard the suite door open. “Peter?” she called to him, getting to her feet.

He walked into the room dressed in dark workout pants and a black shirt. “What are you doing up?” he asked, his tone almost accusing.

“I woke up and couldn’t find you,” she confessed, setting the phone back down. “I was worried about you. I thought maybe you had another nightmare.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, leaning forward to hold his head in his hands. “I did,” he softly muttered. “I didn’t want to wake you so I went for a walk.”

Hannah placed a hand on his back, gently rubbing in soothing circles. “What was the nightmare about?”

“I…I can’t talk about it…I’m sorry,” he choked out, wishing that he could. It’s not something that he could talk about with anyone, not even the one person that was closest to him.

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” she softly replied. “Is there anything I can do for you…anything I can get you?”

“No, thank you,” he said with a shake of his head as he finally sat up and looked at her with a gentle smile. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

He leaned in and kissed her softly, his hand coming to rest against her jaw. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him in closer. He quickly succumbed to her kisses as he laid her back on the bed. She immediately began pulling his shirt up over his head before finding the drawstring of his workout pants, hoping to bring him some measure of comfort with her body if not with her words.

He kissed her breathless as she helped to remove the rest of his clothes, rolling him onto his back before settling over him. She was determined to ease his heartache. She wanted to show him that he could trust her…hopefully change his mind about staying here in Chicago with her.

Hannah pressed her fingernails into his chest as she set a slow and tortuous rhythm, taking him deeper and deeper inside of her with each of her downward motions. She leaned over him as she rode him, kissing him deeply. “Stay with me, Peter,” she continually whispered between nipping kisses.

A long, drawn out moan was the only response he could muster at that moment. He was rapidly losing himself to the erotic sensations roiling through him likes building waves about to crash on a rocky shore. He pressed the back of his head into the pillows behind him, screwing his eyes closed as his fingers dug deeper into her hips in an attempt to hold on just a little bit longer.

He felt his control beginning to splinter as she pulled his hands free and laced her fingers with his, moving over him with a burning desperation as she urged them both to completion. He bucked his hips, his body bowing with the intensity of his release as he came undone beneath her.

He was panting heavily as she collapsed on top of him, his hands splaying across her back and protectively holding her close to him. He gently kissed her forehead, savoring the feeling of being skin against skin with her. He wished he didn’t have to leave, wanting to stay here with her like this, but he knew he had to go soon.

He needed to return to England if he was going to procure the items that he needed from the Vanover collection. Leo Vanover now had the highest prized collection of jewelry and antiquities of anyone in the world, but not for long. Soon, he would hold that honor. 

Hannah lifted her head, tracing his jaw with her lips. He carefully shifted, rolling her onto her side so he could face her. “Thank you for understanding,” he told her, pausing to kiss her deeply. “These last two nights with you have been incredible.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at him. “You’re really leaving?” she tearfully asked, her hand coming to rest against his cheek.

“I have to return to England,” he replied. “I have important business there that I must attend to.”

“I…I wish that I could go with you,” she confessed, a tear escaping and sliding over her nose.

He cupped her face, using his lips to erase her tears. “I wish you could too, but this is something that I must do alone,” he said. “Let’s not worry about my leaving. Let’s just enjoy what little time we still have together.”

She nodded her head, burrowing herself into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly against him. His chin came to rest on top of her head, his mind already taking him back home to England and what he knew awaited him there.

It wasn’t long before he felt her relax against him, sleep finally claiming her. He waited several minutes more, making certain that she was fully asleep before carefully extricating himself from her embrace. He stared down at her for a long moment, wishing that his life was different…that he was different.

Another time, another place…another life and he would have asked her to return home to England with him. Unfortunately, he was what he was and there was no changing it, no erasing the wounds and scars of the past that he carried deep inside of him. He knew they couldn’t be healed or erased. He’d tried everything in his power to do that without little to no success.

He gently brushed a blond lock out of her face, wondering if they would ever meet again. Even if they did, she’d never forgive him for what he was about to do to her. He hated himself for it, wishing that he didn’t have to hurt her this way.

Steeling himself, he quickly began to pick his clothes up off the floor before grabbing his black bag and heading into the bathroom. Turning on the light, he dressed before turning his attention to his bag. Opening it, he removed his prize to inspect it— the Heart of the Ocean Diamond sapphire necklace.

His eyes practically gleamed as he studied it, running his fingertips over it. “This is for you, Ava,” he whispered kissing it and placing it into his bag for safekeeping.

Exiting the bathroom, he gathered the rest of his things before silently exiting his penthouse suite, leaving Hannah to wake up all alone with no idea as to who he truly was or where he went. Peter Ackerman had just disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: YAAAY!! They finally kissed, but what will they do about it now? I'm working on Chp 18 now and they are firmly undercover. Can't wait for you all to read what's coming. Lots more will be revealed about our thief as well. Thanks all for reading and reviewing! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_**Wayne Manor; September 29th, 06:37 EST** _

_He ran his fingers through her silky hair, wrapping the raven strands around them and gripping it tightly as his mouth descended on hers. He kissed her greedily…hungrily, unable to get enough of her in that moment. The more he tasted her, the more he wanted her._

_Diana moaned as she returned his kiss with equal passion, her tongue and lips demanding and receiving even more of him. His hands roamed over her with a possessiveness that seemed to set her on fire, her fingers grasping his hair and holding him where she wanted him._

_Bruce was completely lost to her as he pinned her to the wall, his hands gripping and squeezing her thighs before lifting them to wrap around his waist. He laced his fingers with hers, pinning their joined hands above her head against the wall as he ground his hips against hers._

_“Diana…” he moaned her name as he left her lips to blaze a hot, wet trail along her jaw and neck._

_He had never wanted someone as badly as he wanted her and now it was finally happening. After two and half years of wanting and denying both of them, they were finally surrendering to the passion that had been lit inside of them almost from the very beginning._

_His breathing was ragged, almost frantic with the feverish desire that was pounding through his veins. “I love you,” he murmured over and over again between nipping kisses along her throat. “I’ve loved you…for so long.”_

_“Bruce…I love you,” she gasped his name, grinding her hips against him. “Please…I need you…I want to feel you inside of me…”_

_Releasing his hold on her hands, he carried her to his bed, laying her down beneath him. He began removing his clothes, more than a little desperate to consummate what had been building and growing between them for far too long._

_Pausing to pull his shirt over his head, he looked down at Diana to find her staring lifelessly up at him. “Diana?” he panted her name in near panic, his hands moving to cradle her face. “Diana!”_

_Pulling his hands back, he looked down to find them covered in blood…her blood. “No!” he screamed as he began looking for injuries._

_Bright red blood bloomed over the front of her shirt, causing panic to race through him. He quickly ripped her shirt open, horrified at the gaping wounds in her chest and abdomen. No one could ever survive such severe injuries, not even with her enhanced healing abilities._

_He grabbed his t-shirt and pressed it to her wounds in a futile effort to stem the flow of blood, but it did no good. “Bruce?” she whispered, her voice hoarse…weak. “I love you…never forget…I love you more than anything in this world.”_

_“No! Diana…stay with me…please,” he begged her, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t leave me…don’t ever leave me…please…I love you, Princess. I’m so sorry I never told you before now.”_

_“I’ll be waiting for you…in Elysium…” she whispered as she caressed his cheek with bloody fingers, a sad smile on her face as she stared up at him._

“No!” Bruce screamed, lunging up out of his bed.

His chest was heaving, his body trembling uncontrollably as he frantically looked around his bedroom for her. Sweat trickled down his chest and back as he struggled to catch his breath. He rubbed his face with his hands to find it wet, licking his dry lips to find them salty with tears that he had no idea that he’d shed.

He gulped in deep breaths in an attempt to regain some semblance of control over his trembling body, reminding himself that it was only a nightmare. Unfortunately, it had been all too real and he knew that it was inevitable if he didn’t find a way to avert it.

He leaned forward, holding his pounding head in his hands. His heart continued to hammer wildly in his chest, indecision fogging his mind and making it difficult to think straight. Not changing the course of events between them would lead to her death, but letting her into his life would put her in serious danger as well. Neither outcome was acceptable, but he was going to have to make a decision and soon.

He couldn’t continue to live like this, never knowing when the moment was going to come when her life would be lost to him forever. He couldn’t stop the shudder that rolled through him with the thought. He couldn’t lose her. He needed her in his life like he needed his next breath. Anything short of that was unacceptable.

Bruce flopped back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to clear his weary mind. He hadn’t slept well at all since coming back from the future, his sleep restless and his dreams fraught with visions of Diana’s death. He had no idea how it was going to happen, only that it was coming and soon.

Nausea churned in the pit of his stomach, forcing him to roll over onto his side before he wretched. He stared at the other side of the bed, drinking in the loneliness that the empty space beside him created deep within him. She could be here with him right now if he didn’t have so many issues, if he wasn’t who he was.

He reached out to touch the soft sheets, finding them cool to the touch. He ran the tips of his fingers over the expensive material, imagining her here with him. His hand came to rest on the pillow that would be hers. He pulled it to towards him, clutching it in his arms as he buried his face in it.

A strangled sob caught in his throat as his anguish finally overwhelmed him. Memories of the kiss they’d shared last night taunted him with what he so desperately wanted, but didn’t believe he could ever have with her. It was tearing him up inside, always wanting but never having…seeing but never able to touch. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to fight it much longer, but he’d never give up fighting to save her and keep her safe.

Clutching the pillow firmly in his arms, he soon began to fall into another restless sleep, one that involved his princess. Only this time, he swore he’d save her.

**_Watchtower; September 29th, 15:01 EST_ **

Batman swept into the founders’ conference room with a dark scowl on his face. He’d gotten little sleep last night, nightmares about Diana continuing to haunt him and invade his sleep. He had to find a resolution to all of this and soon before he lost his mind.

“So, now that Batman is here, we’ll get the meeting started,” Superman announced, glancing at the Dark Knight before looking back at his notes.

Batman ignored everyone’s glances as he took his seat beside the Amazon princess, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, especially her. Last night had been a living hell that he had no desire to relive ever again. Being here in this room with her…sitting right beside her…it only made his emotions that much rawer and more difficult to control.

A migraine had settled behind his eyes, making it next to impossible to concentrate on anything for any period of time. He could sense Diana peering at him out of the corner of her eye, trying not to be obvious with her concern for him.

He released a weary sigh, feeling horrible about allowing himself to get carried away with that kiss last night. He was going to have to do some damage control now, put up some boundaries with her so that it didn’t happen again. He couldn’t afford it right now and neither could she.

He knew that he should tell her about what he’d learned from the future so she would be safe, but he also knew it wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t deter her in the least from throwing herself into deadly situations or keep her from risking her life to save another. She was too stubborn and sacrificial for her own good.

He gritted his teeth as anger coursed through his veins, his fingers firmly gripping the armrests of his chair. Why did she have to leave the safety of her island in the first place? Why couldn’t she have just stayed on Themyscira with her sisters and mother where she belonged? 

His heart plummeted into his boots with the thought. Then he never would’ve met her or fallen so hard for her…never would’ve known there was a woman of such perfection and light and beauty out there in the world that could steal his heavily guarded heart. He’d never have met his own personal beacon of hope.

“What do you think, Batman?”

Superman calling his name forced him back to the reality of where he was at and what he was doing. “I can’t do any upgrades on the long-distance sensors until Diana and I track down this thief.”

“Understood,” Superman agreed with a nod. “Are there any updates about this mysterious thief that we need to be appraised of?”

Diana opened her mouth to speak only for Batman to speak for her. “No, not at this time,” Batman icily stated. “We’ll let you know if anything of significance develops.”

Diana turned a heated glare at the Dark Knight which he completely ignored, his focus solely on Superman. She could tell that something had clearly set him off, but she could only guess at what it was. She hoped that it wasn’t the kiss that they had shared last night.

It would be just like him to completely shut down after any intimacy or a perceived threat to his mission. She wasn’t going to push him about it right now, giving him some time to work through it. She also needed some time to think. 

She had tried to bury her attraction to him after their run-in with Circe and it had only grown over time, forcing her to face it now. She knew that she loved him, but she wasn’t certain that pursing it was the right decision. Bruce could be difficult to handle on a good day. She didn’t know if she could handle him pushing her away again if they did become involved.

“…and I’ll make sure Batman and Diana’s schedules are cleared for the next couple of weeks to give you two more time to find this thief,” Superman concluded. “Do you think you’ll need more time than that?”

“No, that should be sufficient,” Batman responded with a clipped tone.

“If there’s nothing else…” Clark said, Batman up and out of his seat before he could finish his sentence.

Diana quickly followed him, wanting to at least make sure he was all right. Something was obviously very wrong. “Batman,” she called as she hurried down the hall after him.

Batman barely slowed his pace, giving her an almost imperceptible glance over his shoulder. His heart began to beat a little harder as she caught up to him. A quiver of fear trembled through him as she fell in step beside him. His nightmare from last night and all its accompanying emotions threatened to overwhelm him—the fierce desire, the passionate rush of finally acknowledged longing, the sheer terror…the utter sense of despair and anguish that had crushed his heart as he had held her lifeless body in his arms.

He couldn’t go through that. The nightmare had been devastating enough without having to experience the reality. He wouldn’t survive it…not with her. Not Diana.

“Are you all right?” she asked, her concern growing with every step she took. It was quite obvious that he was grappling with something profound and distressing.

“I’m fine,” he stated, his jaw clenched as he stormed through the Watchtower like a swirling cyclone.

Diana’s fingers wrapped around his forearm like a steel band, forcing him to a stop. “Something is obviously very wrong,” she said in a low voice, knowing he wouldn’t appreciate having his business broadcasted all over the Watchtower. “What happened after I left this morning?”

“Nothing,” he snapped, refusing to make eye contact with her.

“If something is wrong, I want to help,” she gently told him, allowing the worry that she felt inside to permeate her eyes.

Finally meeting her concerned gaze, he felt another fissure erupt in his walls, spreading and expanding like a spider web. His chest constricted as he squelched the desire he felt to wrap his arms around her and hold her close to him. “It’s just something that I need to deal with myself.”

Diana studied him for a long moment, her mind racing to find some way to help him, but she needed to know what was wrong first. “Does this have anything to do with what you learned in the future?”

Bruce looked away from her, the very air being sucked from his lungs with the memory her words resurrected. He swallowed hard, but the lump that filled his throat refused to budge. “Nothing happened that you need to know about,” he lied.

“I know something happened,” she stubbornly replied, refusing to back down. “You have not been yourself since you returned from the future. I know you had a conversation with your older self that didn’t go well, something that has affected you deeply.”

His entire body grew rigid with anger, realizing she had to have talked to John. His head snapped back to glare darkly at her. “That is none of your business, Princess,” he furiously ground out.

“I only want to help you, Bruce,” she softly said, hoping to ease his anger. “I can’t bear to see you hurting so much. Why can’t you just let me in?”

He drew a deep breath to calm himself, releasing it slowly through his nose. “I appreciate that, Diana, but it’s something that I must deal with alone. Please…just let me handle it myself.”

Her hands found her hips as she considered his plea. It wasn’t often he said please. “Fine…for now,” she relented with a sigh. “What are we going to do about our thief?”

“Meet me at the cave at seven,” he told her, relaxing minutely. “We need to plan out your secret identity.”

“Secret identity?”

“We’re going to Cambridge, England,” he revealed as John Stewart walked by at that moment.

Green Lantern could feel the fiery heat of the infamous Batglare being directed his way. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle in warning. Bruce knew that he had talked to Diana and he was a dead man for all intents and purposes. His days were most certainly numbered.

He gently tugged at the collar of his uniform, deciding it had gotten much hotter in the Watchtower. Maybe it would be a good idea for him to lay low for a few days, maybe a month or more until Bruce had cooled down some. That would be the wisest thing to do. He’d always heard that Jamaica was nice this time of year.

John straightened his shoulders with a definite frown. He had nothing to be afraid of. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He had only had breakfast with a good friend, discussing a mission that they had both taken part in. It wasn’t like he had told her something inappropriate. He didn’t even know what the two Bruce’s had discussed in the first place. As far as he was concerned, he had done absolutely nothing wrong and if Bruce didn’t like it then that was his problem.

Feeling a little more at ease with things, John was completely stunned when he turned a corner to find Batman standing directly in his path. His arms were folded against his chest and a sneer on his lips. He gulped. Bruce growled. He was a dead man.

How in the name of Oa did Bruce get ahead of him so fast?

“Batman,” John managed to utter the moniker even though it wasn’t quite as deep as he had anticipated. He cleared his throat before continuing, finding his voice again. “What can I do for you?”

“Follow me…now,” he deeply growled as he turned on his heel and disappeared into an empty conference room.

John steeled himself as he followed him inside, wondering if this morning was the last time he was going to see Mari in a very long time. At least she’d made it a morning that he could treasure in his memories for quite some time while he recuperated in the infirmary for the next six maybe seven months.

“What did you say to Diana?” Batman rasped something dark and dangerous and completely pissed.

“What do you mean?” John asked, folding his arms against his chest, trying his best to appear as fearless as possible.

“I know you and Diana talked about our mission to the future,” he gruffly stated. “I want to know every single word that was said from the very beginning and leave nothing out.”

John knew he wasn’t getting out of this situation short of an alien attack so he might as well start talking and hopefully save himself some pain in the end. “Diana has been worried about you ever since we returned from that mission,” he began, leaning against the edge of the conference table as he spoke. “She wanted to know what happened after she disappeared in hopes of figuring out why you’ve been missing from the League for the last two months now.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her about Warhawk, meeting future Bruce and the new Batman,” he replied. “I told her that you and your older self had a private conversation, but that I didn’t know what it was about. If she wanted to know anything more, she was going to have to talk to you about it.”

“Then what happened?”

John’s lips thinned into a grim line, their conversation about Shayera rising to the surface of his mind. “We talked about me and Shayera,” he reluctantly informed him, his tone somber and filled with remorse. “She told me to leave my heart open to the possibility of reconciling with Shayera…to not be so against it because of what we discovered in the future.” 

Bruce sensed his friend’s heartache, knowing how much John loved Shayera even now even after everything they’d been through. “She’s right you know,” he responded, a measure of his anger gone from his voice.

John snorted in response, a weak smile forming on his face. “She usually is,” he agreed. “Diana can be very persuasive whether you like it or not.”

It was Bruce’s turn to grunt his agreement. “You’re telling me,” he said, folding his arms against his chest.

“Bruce, you really should talk to her,” John encouraged him, relaxing some. “She cares deeply for you and I already know how you feel about her. You need to let her in. You two could really have something pretty incredible together.”

Bruce looked away from his friend, the muscles of his jaw tensing and relaxing. “It’s not that easy and you know it, John,” he murmured, memories of the nightmare seared indelibly into his mind. “You don’t understand.”

“No, it isn’t easy,” John decided. “Love is hard…it’s messy and full of risks and hurts. It doesn’t come with any guarantees of a happily-ever-after. I know that better than anyone, Bruce, but the time spent with the woman you love makes it so worth it.”

Bruce stared at him in stunned disbelief. “You can say that even after everything that you went through with Shayera?”

A small smile curled the corners of the Marine’s lips. “Even knowing what I know now, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t trade any of the time I shared with Shayera despite the pain her leaving caused me.”

Batman couldn’t help thinking about his own situation with Diana that he’d been grappling with for so long now. Deep down, he knew that John was right about all of it, but he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it. The fears and “what-ifs” still clung to him like a straightjacket that he couldn’t begin to escape no matter how hard he tried.

“I need to return to Gotham,” Batman abruptly announced, straightening up and squaring his shoulders. He didn’t have time for this.

“Bruce, just don’t wait too long to do something about it,” John encouraged him. “Even with all her gifts, I doubt even Diana has enough patience to wait around for you forever. One day you’re going to turn around and she’s going to be gone.”

John left Batman standing there all alone, Bruce trying to regain the breath that his words had just stolen away. There was no way that John could’ve known about what he had learned from his elder self. It had been discussed in private and he hadn’t told anyone about it. Not even Alfred knew about what he’d learned.

His knees felt weak, forcing him to sit down in a nearby chair. He couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss they’d shared in the cave last night. The rush of passion and desire that it had created in him warred with the horror of the nightmare of losing her. It caused a wave of nausea to rise in his throat.

He was in a no-win situation with no way out.

**_London, England; September 29th, 18:30 EST_ **

He entered through the front door of his home, pushing it closed without a second look. He dropped his bags in the foyer as his eye caught the pile of mail lying on the foyer table awaiting his arrival home. He took his time flipping through the countless envelopes—bills, invitations, requests for donations. Nothing of great importance, nothing personal.

He didn’t know why he had thought there would be anything there of a special nature. It wasn’t like he had very many close friends, no one that really cared if he existed. He’d made sure of that over the years, practically sequestering himself away in his home ever since that dreadful night.

With a sigh, he tossed the mail down, knowing it would eventually show up in his office to officially review. Turning his attention back to his bags, he picked them up before making his way to the steps that would lead him upstairs to his room. He was anxious to get unpacked, showered, and changed so he could sort through all of the treasures he’d obtained during his time in the States.

Entering his bedroom, he found it just as spotless and neat as he had left it. Walking to his bed, his thoughts turned to Hannah as he began to unpack. He couldn’t help wondering if she was all right. He hated leaving her like he had, but it had been more than necessary. He couldn’t form any emotional attachments to anyone and he had felt one beginning to form with her in the short time they had spent together.

As hard as it had been, it had been critical if he was going to continue his mission. He couldn’t allow any distractions to get in his way. Besides, he had learned long ago that emotional attachments only brought about pain in the end…more pain that he would never recover from. 

He began removing his clothes and toiletries from his bags, doing his best to push thoughts of Hannah to the back of his mind where all of the other women he’d had flings with were sent to linger and attempt to gnaw at his subconscious. He’d learned long ago how to steel himself against such unwanted emotions, how to bury them so deep no one could possibly reach them…not even him. This time, however, he had a feeling it was going to take a little longer.

Walking into his bathroom, he began to put his toiletries away, his attention caught by the man looking back at him in the mirror. He paused to gaze at the image staring back at him. He couldn’t help but notice the fatigue that had settled into the fine lines at the corner of his eyes. This lifestyle that he led was beginning to wear on him, but he couldn’t give it up.

He had so much more work to do. He couldn’t let them down. He had sworn on that day so long ago that he would never forget them, would never give up trying to make it up to them that he was alive and they were gone forever.

He missed them so much it was almost suffocating sometimes. He could hardly catch his breath whenever they managed to intrude on his thoughts without warning. He knew he needed to spend time on his meditation exercises and training. He’d let it slip while he’d been in America. It was time to get his head back on straight so he could continue to give them everything they deserved.

 _“Do not let the tendrils of the past creep into your present or it will wrap around your future and strangle you,”_ Aadarsh told him.

Releasing a deep breath, he forced himself to leave the bathroom, knowing he needed to put his most recent prizes in place. A smile caused his lips to curl as he made his way downstairs. Ava was going to love his newest gifts that he had brought her. He couldn’t wait to show her.

As he made his way through the manor, he couldn’t ignore the divine smells coming from the kitchen. His stomach rumbled in response, reminding him that he had barely eaten all day. He found he didn’t have much of an appetite when he was working, but now that he was home he could indulge in a good meal.

Entering the kitchen, he smiled to himself at the sight that greeted him. “I had a feeling I’d find you in here,” he announced his presence.

She turned around with a disapproving frown, but the affectionate glint in her green eyes was unmistakable. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she responded. “It’s about time ye decided to come home.”

He smiled affectionately as he made his way to the counter, sitting down in a barstool. “You knew I was going to be a couple of days later than I had planned.”

“What was her name this time?”

“What makes you think it was a woman?” he asked with a scowl as he reached for the plate of scones sitting on the counter waiting for him. His shoulders slumped slightly as she gave him a withering glare. “Her name was Hannah.”

“Ye up and left her in the middle of the night too…didn’t ye?” she demanded to know as she loaded a plate full of food, placing it before him. “Did you leave her trolleyed too?”

“No, I didn’t get her drunk,” he told her, offended by her insinuation. “I would never do that to a woman. I may have my issues and my fair share of sins, but I have always treated women with great respect.”

“Ye still left her without a word in the middle of the night to wake all alone in the morning,” she muttered with a disapproving frown.

“Annaliesa,” he muttered with a groan. “Can we please talk about something else?”

“What ye want to talk about then?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Did ye get what ye was looking for?”

He released a sigh as he stared at his plate of food. He knew Annaliesa didn’t agree with what he had chosen to do with his life, but at least he hadn’t managed to drive her away over the years. She was all that he had left and both of them knew it. It’s what probably kept her here with him.

“I did,” he finally replied, taking his fork and digging in.

“Have ye taken them to her yet?” Annaliesa inquired, her tone softening as she sat down at the counter across from him.

He shook his head no as he slowly chewed his food, a sense of warmth drifting over him. Her cooking always did that to him, creating a sense of comfort and peace that had been missing for so very long. No matter where his missions took him, she always drew him back home.

“I will,” he told her before taking another bite, refusing to make eye contact with her. He could feel her disapproval and worry from here.

A weathered hand silently slipped into his line of sight, moving to cover his resting on the counter beside his plate. Her fingers curled around his, squeezing it gently. “I wish ye would consider stopping this madness. Ye are going to get caught one of these times and ye ain’t getting out of it.”

He considered her words for a long moment, knowing deep down that she was right, but he couldn’t stop. He would do whatever it took to continue what he knew had to do for her. For Ava, he would do absolutely anything.

“You know I can’t, Annaliesa,” he told her. “I have to do this for her…for them.”

“I know, love,” she replied, patting his hand before pulling it back. “Finish up so ye can go see her.”

He continued to eat in silence as Annaliesa bustled about the kitchen, humming a tune as his thoughts drifted to his next mission. His sights were now set on the Leo Vanover estate and the upcoming auction. There were so many items that were going to be on display, various relics and priceless jewels that he would love to get his hands on.

Finishing up, he grabbed his black bag, making his way over to Annaliesa and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks…for everything,” he murmured before turning and leaving.

Annaliesa smiled as she watched him leave, releasing a worried breath as she turned her attention back to the dishes. “Laddie’s going to get himself into a boat load of barney,” she sadly muttered to herself.

He made his way down the hall to what used to be the ballroom back in the day when his parents were still alive and held grand parties here. He swore at times he could still here the music and laughter that had filled the halls of the ancient manor when he was a young boy. He missed those days so much.

Opening the double doors to the ballroom, he was immediately met with the nauseating smell of antiseptic, the perpetual beeping of monitors. He swallowed back the emotions that had lodged in his throat at the sight that greeted him.

He slowly made his way through the enormous room, the heels of his shoes softly clicking against the marble floor and echoing all around him. His gaze fell on the form in the hospital bed. She looked so frail, so broken. He didn’t know why he thought things would’ve changed over the days since he’d been gone.

He came to stand beside her bed, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. Despite being twins, there was absolutely nothing similar about them now. “I’m home, Ava,” he told her, knowing that he would never get a response from her. She hadn’t responded to him in twenty-five years.

He gently brushed a honeyed lock of hair from her forehead, wishing that she would look at him just once, but all she did was stare. He didn’t know if she ever heard him when he spoke to her or if she understood, but he would never give up trying.

He set his bag down on the edge of her bed, pulling out the sapphire necklace that had stolen from the wealthy Gotham socialite. He held it up for his sister to see. “Look what I brought you, Ava,” he said.

The sapphire necklace dangled from his fingertips for a moment before holding up his other prize. He pulled out the necklace he’d stolen from Chicago, the large sapphire sparkling in the artificial light of the ballroom. It was the largest sapphire that he had been able to steal up to now, by far the most expensive.

He sat down beside her bed for several moments, holding her hand and telling her all about his travels to the United States. He left out meeting Hannah and the passionate nights they had shared. He found he missed her greatly. 

Shoving those emotions aside, he finally released her hand. “I’ll be back to check on you later,” he told her, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. 

Leaving the makeshift hospital ward, he made his way to his private office, closing the door behind him. Taking his bag of treasures, he approached the portrait of his family that sat above the fireplace. He gazed up at the picture of his parents with him and his twin sister Ava. It had been taken a few months before that fateful night that changed everything forever, changing two eleven year old children’s lives completely upside down.

He pulled out the large diamond he’d stolen in New York City, setting it out among some of the other things that he’d stolen over the years before pulling out the Egyptian armbands. He ran his fingers over the metal and jewels, holding it up for his mother to see.

“See what I acquired for you, mother?” he said. “I know how much you loved Egyptian artifacts.”

He stared up at the portrait for several moments before going over to the bar to pour himself a drink, knowing he’d never hear the sound of his mother’s voice again…never hear his father’s boisterous laughter. He settled into a chair before the fireplace as he savored his drink, his gaze locked on his family…forever torn apart by a drunk behind the wheel of his car.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**_Batcave; September 29th, 19:04 EST_ **

Bruce heard the transporter fire up, alerting him to the impending arrival of one Amazon princess…the very one that he had shared a steamy kiss with right here in this cave on this platform. He knew he had to deal with this soon. What they obviously shared was not going to go away anytime soon if ever.

Thankfully, Diana hadn’t brought it up yet or pressed him about embarking into a relationship with her. He couldn’t deal with this right now. He just needed to focus on keeping her alive and catching this thief. His heart didn’t matter in this.

“You’re late,” he bluntly stated as she made her way up the platform steps.

“Thank you for the heartfelt greeting,” she replied as she took her usual seat next to him. “Alfred would be so proud of you.”

Bruce had the decency to appear somewhat repentant as he cast a sidelong glance at her. “What kept you?”

“Flash,” she revealed.

“No further explanation needed,” he said as he continued typing, pulling up a picture of Leo Vanover for her.

“Let’s get to work,” Diana decided, noticing that they weren’t going to be discussing anything not pertaining to work. She should’ve known he’d withdraw from her again. It’s a game they had played for three years and she was becoming more than a little fed up with it. “Where do we start?” 

“This is Leo Vanover,” Bruce stated matter-of-factly. “He was one of the richest men in England when he died.”

“How old was he?”

“One hundred and four,” he replied. “He died a couple of months ago of natural causes. He was a recluse…hadn’t set foot outside of his home in over thirty-five years. He’d been secretly collecting antiques, paintings, and priceless jewels under several assumed names. It was thought that many of these items had been lost or sold on the black market. No one even knew that he had been collecting these objects until he passed away.

“Vanover had no wife or children, no family. He died all alone,” Bruce continued, trying to hide the tightness that abruptly filled his throat with the glaring similarity between his future self that he’d recently met and Leo Vanover. “Per his will, his estate is being completely liquidated; his entire collection is being put up for auction and the money donated to various charities. Several wealthy individuals from all over the world have been invited, including Bruce Wayne.”

“And you think this is where our thief is going to be,” she guessed. “So what’s the plan?”

“First, you need a secret identity,” he told her. “You’re going to be my girlfriend, Diana Prince.”

“Your girlfriend?” she asked with an amused smirk as she gazed at him out of the corner of her eye, thoughts of that intimate kiss they’d shared parading through her mind all over again and heating her blood.

“Yes, girlfriend…here’s your cover,” he clarified without meeting her direct gaze as he tried to forget about how it felt to have her tongue in his mouth. “You’re a museum curator specializing in Greek artifacts. I have already built you a resume and a full background story. You’ll need to memorize it. I want you to know it inside and out because you will be quizzed on it.”

“How did we meet?”

“We met at the Gotham museum function.”

“My but you are a fast worker,” she lightly teased. “We meet for the first time last week and next week I’m flying to England with you. You must have really swept me off my feet.”

Bruce flashed a playboy grin at her without realizing he was doing it. “You couldn’t help but succumb to my legendary Bruce Wayne charm.”

“Hera, I must have been drunk at the time,” she replied with a lilting laugh.

“What’s the matter, Princess? Can’t hold your liquor?” he asked as he returned to pulling up numerous files.

“Either that or I’m an easy woman,” she grumbled with a frown. “Hera, my mother would have a heart attack if she knew.”

“Don’t worry,” Bruce reassured her. “I would never do anything to taint your reputation. I won’t let my playboy status tarnish yours in any way. We’ll be broken up by the time we return to the States.”

A hand on his forearm caused him to stop what he was doing, forcing him to meet her intense gaze with a nervous quiver in the pit of his stomach. “I’m not worried in the least about what people think of me. I know that’s not the real you that you portray for the world, Bruce. I know the real you and there’s a good heart beneath the playboy façade you purport.”

He could see the truth of her words reflected there in her blue depths, but he refused to respond to it. “We’ll need to cement our relationship in public,” he brusquely told her, turning his attention back to his computer.

Diana took his abrupt change in subject with great patience despite the fact that she wasn’t feeling any of it at this point. He was purposefully avoiding any talk of their kiss or any possibility of them. She’d long ago grown accustomed to his brooding moods, his hot and cold demeanor towards her. 

She’d done battle with the stony barriers that he erected around himself that kept everyone at arms’ length and had lived to tell about it. Instead of deterring her, it only reinforced in her mind that he was worth the effort to maintain their friendship and maybe pursue something more with him.

“So what did you have in mind? Salsa dancing? Kissing passionately in a restaurant? Necking in the park? Being caught with your hand up my skirt?”

She took great pleasure in how uncomfortable Bruce was becoming with her suggestions, the way the muscle in his jaw was ticking. She could’ve sworn that she noticed a faint blush appear on his face, but it was gone before she could actually confirm it. No one would believe her anyway that she had made the formidable Batman blush.

“No, nothing like that,” he readily decided. “There’s a Wayne Enterprises banquet this Saturday night. You will go with me as my date so we can establish our relationship.”

Diana stared at him, annoyance flashing in her eyes as she folded her arms against her chest. “Excuse me?”

Bruce looked to his left, noticing the irritation on her face. “What?”

“Could you at least ask me nicely if I will be your date Saturday night?”

“Diana,” he impatiently grumbled. “We don’t have time—”

“Hera, I’m not asking you to get down on one knee and propose marriage to me, Bruce,” she snapped. “It would be nice if you could at least ask me to go with you instead of telling me what I’m going to be doing. Besides, what if I already have a date for Saturday night?”

Bruce bristled with her words, the whole scenario of proposing marriage to her creating a fierce wave of panic to rise up inside of him like a mighty tidal wave threatening to drown him like a battered ship. “Fine,” he ground out, clenching his jaw. “Diana, are you free Saturday night?”

Diana tapped her bottom lip, averting her eyes as if appearing to think about the question. “I do have plans, but I’d be happy to rearrange them for you.”

Bruce’s head snapped to the side to look at her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “What plans do you have Saturday?”

“I was supposed to go to a new club that opened up in Star City with Dinah, but I can go Sunday night instead,” she revealed. “Why do you ask?”

Bruce’s nostrils flared with irritation as he fought to keep the biting retort that danced on his tongue at bay. “Would you please do me the honor of accompanying me as my date on Saturday night?”

Diana thought about it for a long moment, trying to make him sweat a little. She knew that she was making things difficult for him, but he deserved it after kissing her like that and then refusing to even acknowledge that things were changing between them whether he was willing to accept it or not. 

His request to be his date sounded as if he was giving a eulogy at a funeral instead of asking a woman out. “Despite your hostile tone and lack of charm, I would be more than happy to go as your date Saturday night.”

Bruce huffed in anger, saying something under his breath that was indecipherable, but the general meaning was more than clear. “Thank you,” he ground out.

“What am I going to wear?” she asked. “It’s not like I can go dressed like me.”

“I’ve already got Zatanna working on something that will disguise your true appearance,” he explained, more than relieved to be talking about something else.

“And just what will I look like?”

“Zatanna can work that out,” he told her. “I don’t care what you look like. All I care about is stopping this thief before he steals everything right out from under our noses.”

“Gee, Bruce, you really know how to charm a woman,” she stated, clearly agitated by his cold demeanor. “I’m beginning to wonder if all these playboy rumors I’ve heard about you are actually true.”

He shot her a sidelong glare. “You know what I meant,” he snapped. “Besides, you’ll get to see the playboy up close and personal. Just promise not to punch me through a wall or break me in two. I can’t capture the thief in a body cast.”

“I will also be there to help capture this thief as well. You aren’t doing this alone,” she countered. “Besides, I have far more restraint than that.”

Bruce turned to look at her, giving her his best incredulous expression. “Your temper is legendary, Princess. You think and react with your emotions instead of your head. I’ve had to replace more training droids over the last three years because of you blowing off steam.”

Diana clenched her hands, fighting the intense urge to hit him, but it would only end up proving his point for him. He was trying to push her buttons, which wasn’t unusual for him, but he was trying extra hard to anger her tonight and she didn’t know why.

“I’m going with you on this mission whether you like it or not,” she perceptively stated, leaning in closer to get her point across. “You can try to push me away all you want, but it’s not going to work. You’re stuck with me, Bruce, so get used to it. I’m not going anywhere.”

He growled under his breath, punching the computer keys with a renewed anger. She was supposed to get mad, possibly take a swing at him and storm off, leaving him to deal with this mission alone. She wasn’t supposed to dig her heels in even harder and refuse to leave.

She watched as his shoulders seemed to slump in silent defeat after several tense moments. This was a fight that he couldn’t win and he knew it. She sat back in her seat as he grappled with what he was going to do next. He could always try to physically kick her out of the cave, but, at that moment, he didn’t feel inclined to resort to physical force.

“Meet me here in the cave Saturday afternoon so we can rehearse our story to make sure we’re on the same page,” he told her, adding a barely audible, grumbled “please” as an afterthought.

“I’ll be here,” she promised. “Now, tell me about next week’s trip. What’s the agenda?”

“We’ll leave Gotham via my private jet very early Thursday morning,” he revealed. “Once we arrive in England, we’ll then go directly to Cambridge where Vanover’s castle is located. There’s a welcome reception Thursday night.

“Friday is spent enjoying various activities on the grounds such as swimming, horseback riding, tennis, and croquet. It’s also the first day that we’ll be able to start examining the various collections. Friday is a nineteen-twenties throwback party so be sure you bring an outfit appropriate for the era.

“Saturday is the same as Friday except Saturday night is a masquerade ball. Sunday is the actual auction. We fly back home on Monday morning and then you’ll be rid of me.”

“Where am I supposed to get clothes for this mission?” she asked, ignoring his last comment. She was intrigued by the well-thought out events surrounding the auction. The weekend was definitely a draw to those interested in art and history as well as parties.

“Use your League credit card I gave you,” he told her. “If you need help with finding the right clothes, call Alfred.”

“Alfred?” she repeated, surprised.

“The man knows fashion,” he reassured her.

“Can you send me everything you have on Leo Vanover as well as a list of the guests who will be attending?” she asked.

Bruce was somewhat taken aback by her request, but he knew he really shouldn’t be. Diana was very intelligent. She would want to know as much as possible before going into this mission. “I’m sending every file I have so far to your account on the Watchtower.”

“I’ll be prepared, Bruce,” she assured him.

“I know you will be,” he softly replied, knowing that he could and did trust her with his life. There were very few that could be counted among them, but she was most definitely among them despite his determination to keep her at arms’ length.

“Are there any other suspects that might make an appearance besides our thief?”

“Lex Luthor may make an appearance,” he informed her. “At this point, though, I’m not really ruling anyone out of making a surprise arrival. We’ll have to be prepared for anything and anyone.”

“Do you also have a list of Vanover’s staff that will be there next weekend?”

Bruce scrolled through several files before pulling up the one he wanted. “I’ll send it to you as well.”

“I’m sure you’ve already started to investigate each of them to check for any ties to illegal activities or relatives who have had illegal dealings,” she commented.

Bruce couldn’t suppress the smirk that rose to his lips, absentmindedly thinking Diana would make an excellent detective. “You know me too well, Princess.”

“And?”

“Nothing,” he told her. “They’re all clean.”

“Well, there’s always a first time for anything,” she said as she peered over his shoulder to stare at the computer screen.

“That’s why we’ll have to be prepared for every situation,” he cryptically told her. 

**_Wayne Manor; September 30th, 17:13 EST_ **

Bruce entered the front door of the manor and made his way to his home office, his mood surely at best despite the fact that he and Diana had a plan that would hopefully end up with their thief behind bars. After that, he still had to decide what he was going to do about Diana and their relationship. It hadn’t helped at all that he’d had another nightmare about her last night. It was slowly eating away at his sanity.

He began flipping through the mail that Alfred had left on his desk. Tossing it aside, he left his office to make his way towards the kitchen in search of Alfred. The unexpected sound of female laughter filled his ears and caused an unwanted flutter to erupt in the pit of his stomach. It angered him that she had such an effect on him, that she managed to threaten his self-control with nothing more than her presence alone.

Diana was here.

_“Can you honestly tell yourself that you could live without her if she died?”_

_Bruce felt as though he’d been punched in the gut, all the air sucked from his lungs. He didn’t want to think about such an occurrence. It made him absolutely nauseous. His throat clenched painfully, leaving him unable to answer his elder self._

_“You don’t have to answer me,” his elder self said. “I can see the answer on your face despite the cowl. You can’t live without her and neither could I. Whatever nightmare you think you’re going to drag her into by letting her into your life is nothing compared to the hell I’ve been living without her.”_

_“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bruce growled, his lips twisted with a sneer._

_He watched as his elder self laughed derisively. “You’re forgetting who you’re talking to. I am you, but I’ve had to learn from our mistakes the hard way.”_

_“Why are you so insistent that I change my relationship with Diana?” he demanded to know. “How do you know that letting Diana into my life will change the timeline enough to keep her alive?”_

_His elder self’s face darkened, his piercing blue eyes a fierce storm of rage. “You just have to trust me.”_

Bruce scowled darkly, feeling as though he should have been notified of her presence in the manor, either by Alfred or her. In fact, from now on, he was going to demand she notify him at least twenty-four hours in advance of all visits to the manor. That was if he even agreed to her coming here in the first place.

She was becoming far too comfortable about just showing up here unannounced, he becoming far too lax by allowing it to happen for so long in the first place. She was making herself too at home here and he had to put a stop to it once for and all.

With a sharp reprimand already beginning to dance on the tip of his tongue for his unwelcomed guest, Bruce stalked towards the kitchen, a scathing lecture firmly in mind. He hoped she wasn’t expecting to stay for dinner because that was one invitation that was not going to be becoming.

“I thought you were magnificent today, Alfred,” Diana said, her melodious voice filled with amusement.

“I didn’t do much, Miss Diana,” Alfred humbly replied, his tone revealing his embarrassment.

“You took him down with barely any effort,” she countered. “You didn’t even wrinkle your jacket. I think Bruce and I should vote to have you inducted into the Justice League.”

Diana looked up as an ominous shadow fell across the kitchen counter she was sitting at, noticing the handsome billionaire. “Bruce, you’re just in time for Alfred’s delicious chocolate cheesecake and to hear about—”

“What are you doing here?” he angrily demanded to know, appearing all Bat despite being dressed in his business suit.

Diana frowned in confusion as she glanced at Alfred before responding. “What do you mean?” she asked as she shook her head.

“Don’t play coy, Princess. It doesn’t suit you,” he icily stated with a frown as he folded his arms against his chest.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred sharply interjected from his spot on the other side of the kitchen counter where he was cutting vegetables for dinner. “Miss Diana and I went shopping this afternoon for the items that she’ll need for Saturday night as well as your trip to England. Might I remind you that it was your suggestion that I help her?”

Bruce’s shoulders slumped slightly with the curt reminder, Alfred’s anger with him clearly conveyed. He didn’t think that he’d heard that tone of voice from him since he was a small boy. He had indirectly been the one that had invited her here by offering Alfred’s services and assistance. He had no one to be mad at but himself. Still, he was in no mood to deal with this…with her.

Sensing the obvious tension, Diana decided to lighten the mood a little, tucking away the anger that she felt with his rude behavior. “You never told me that Alfred was such a dangerous man, Bruce,” she commented, flashing him a warm smile in hopes of thawing a measure of his icy demeanor towards her.

It was Bruce’s turn to look at Alfred in confusion, suddenly worried about what had happened this afternoon. “It was nothing, Miss Diana,” Alfred tried to reassure her.

“He was amazing,” she insisted, placing her fork on her now empty plate. “A man tried to steal my purse in a department store in Gotham.”

“What did you do?” Bruce urgently questioned her, his anxiety rising. If anyone saw Wonder Woman out with Bruce Wayne’s butler they might connect them back to Batman and his secret would be revealed.

“Don’t get your britches in a bundle, Master Bruce,” Alfred reassured him, seeing the telltale signs of panic on his surrogate son’s face. “Miss Diana was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a hat to conceal her identity.”

“I would never do anything to jeopardize your identity or your mission in Gotham, Bruce,” Diana reassured him, the truth of her words reflecting in her sapphire eyes.

Bruce allowed himself to relax a little as curiosity ultimately got the better of him. He made his way to the empty stool next to Diana at the kitchen counter without a second thought, settling in for the story of their adventure this afternoon. “So what happened?” he asked.

“Well, I knew I couldn’t react as Wonder Woman, otherwise everyone would know it was me,” Diana began to explain.

“So I stepped in,” Alfred proudly volunteered.

“Before I knew it, Alfred had done this maneuver with nothing more than a flick of his wrist that had the thief on his knees, screaming and writhing in pain,” Diana continued, clearly impressed as she turned her attention back to the British Butler. “By the way, you need to teach me that maneuver, Alfred. That was simply incredible.”

“I’d be happy to,” Alfred agreed. “It’s quite easy actually.”

“What happened after that?” Bruce asked.

“Security came running and apprehended the thief,” Alfred revealed as he put the vegetables into a cooking pot. “Took the crook away in cuffs.”

“Where did you learn to do that?” Diana questioned him.

A small smirk played at the corners of Bruce’s mouth as he regarded his father figure. “Alfred used to be in the British Secret Service.”

Diana was stunned by the revelation, but immediately decided that she really shouldn’t be. It seemed the apple didn’t fall very far from the proverbial tree. Bruce had to have learned some of his infamous skills from the British butler. It was another piece of the mystery known as Bruce Wayne that had just fallen into place.

She smiled at Bruce who was clearly avoiding making eye contact with her at that moment. “So, it seems that not all of your tricks of the trade were learned in the Orient,” she commented.

“Yes, well…that’s a story for another time,” Bruce replied, ducking his head slightly in discomfiture now that a part of his secret to his abilities had just been discovered.

“Well, I for one would love to hear stories of Alfred’s adventures with the British Secret Service,” Diana announced, folding her arms and resting them on the counter as she leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “I bet you have some pretty fascinating tales to tell, Mister Pennyworth…if that truly is your real name.”

Bruce smirked as he watched Alfred fill two plates with food before turning his attention to his audience of two. “Oh, I know he has stories, but he rarely if ever talks about it,” Bruce told her as the elder man placed a plate of food before him before setting one down before the princess. “Good luck getting him to tell you any. I’ve tried for years.”

“I might have a story or two that I could tell, Miss Diana,” Alfred puckishly revealed with a pleased smile, his plan progressing swimmingly. “Of course, some will have to go with me to my grave, but there were several hair-raising adventures that Master Bruce would no doubt be interested in hearing.”

Bruce straightened up with a huff of annoyance, his brow furrowing into a prickly glare. “You never talk about your time in the Secret Service. You always told me it was ‘an unapproachable subject’,” he stated in his best English accent as he picked up his fork before digging into his dinner.

“Well, most of my time with the Secret Service is prohibited from discussion, but Miss Diana is a guest in our home,” Alfred pointed out as he filled a plate for himself. “It would be rude not to indulge her request for a story or two.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you preferred her over me,” Bruce grumbled crossly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he glared at his surrogate father.

“And why wouldn’t I prefer a beautiful, kindhearted woman such as Miss Diana over a brooding soul such as yourself?” Alfred teased him, a smirk playing on his lips as he turned his attention to the princess. “Do you know how often I’ve had to eat my meals all alone while he sat in front of that infernal computer downstairs? I’d be lucky if I got so much as a grunt out of him when I placed his plate in front of him.”

“I’m busy trying to protect Gotham,” Bruce maintained with a frown. “Besides, I eat breakfast with you every morning.”

“Yes, you do, Master Bruce,” Alfred placatingly responded. “You do manage to mutter a ‘thank you’ from behind your newspaper as I place your plate on the table.”

Diana giggled as Bruce pouted, amused by the banter between the two long-time friends, the love and admiration between the two more than evident. “Please, share some stories, Alfred,” she coaxed, changing the subject. “I’d love to hear them.”

Alfred’s eyes twinkled with delight as he pulled a stool up to the other side of the counter so he could face his listeners. “I was sent on this one mission soon after I joined the Secret Service that required me to woo a beautiful young woman believed to be a German spy,” he revealed, a sly smile playing on his lips as he added a couple shakes of pepper to his dinner.

The former British spy happily delved into one exiting account after another, leaving out key pieces of sensitive information in order to safeguard England and her secrets. Shocked gasps and laughter from both Bruce and Diana repeatedly filled the kitchen, his wild tales taking even Bruce by surprise at various times. 

Alfred never talked about his time in the Secret Service, always telling him it was a topic best kept in the past. He’d had no idea just how exciting some of his adventures had truly been until now. It brought a rare smile of pride and pleasure to his lips as he watched his trusted friend and father-figure regale them with tales that he was certain had never been revealed before.

The joy and amusement that reflected on the elder man’s face warmed Bruce’s heart in an unexpected way. He hadn’t seen him like this in a very long time, causing a pang of guilt to well up within him. He had forgotten how good it felt to laugh, to share stories and interact with the ones he cared about most. It was brought an intense wave of grief as memories of seeing his elder self from the future rose in his mind, knowing Alfred had been long gone by that time.

He loved Alfred, his surrogate father and best friend who had seen the worst that life had to offer him over the years. He’d been there with him through it all—the anguish, the heartbreak, the dark brooding and the fury that never truly died, the nights spent worrying if he would return when morning finally broke, patching him up and putting him back together again only for him to go out the next night. 

Alfred could have very easily left at any time, choosing to live a much better life with someone who was far easier to love and care for then him, but he had chosen to stay and for that he would be eternally grateful. Without him, Bruce knew he’d have died long ago if not for this man sitting here with them now.

Bruce cast a sidelong glance at the woman sitting beside him, the corners of his lips curling slightly as he watched her wipe tears of laughter from her eyes. The warm smile that lit her face, the melodious sound of her laughter, the captivating spirit that encompassed her…it seemed to reach out and embrace everyone in her presence, including him. 

She seemed to draw them in and create a sense of serenity and warmth that had long been missing in this house. The surly mood he’d been in when he’d come home this evening had disappeared in the wake of her presence. He didn’t know how she always managed to create a sense of peace in him where he thought none could ever begin to exist.

“Alfred, you can’t be serious,” Diana managed to utter between fits of laughter, breaking through Bruce’s thoughts. “How did you manage to get out of it?”

The former British spy couldn’t help but share in her amusement, his laughter joining hers. “It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get the pantyhose, wig and make up off just in the nick of time to disappear into the crowd before I was caught.”

Bruce couldn’t help sharing in their amusement; the image of Alfred dressed as a woman popping into his mind. “Alfred, I never knew you had it in you,” he told him, shaking his head as he glanced down at his plate that had been sitting empty for some time now. “I guess I know now why you have so much experience with disguises.”

“I know far more than even you can begin to imagine, Master Bruce,” Alfred informed him as he paused to take a drink of his wine. “I still have plenty up my sleeve that I could teach you.”

Bruce glanced at the clock above the kitchen sink, startled to find over three hours had gone by without his notice. It was nearly nine o’clock at night. He immediately jumped up from his seat, his body growing tense. Diana noticed the sudden change in his demeanor, her brow furrowing in confusion. Gone was the real Bruce Wayne that occasionally made an appearance when he actually let his guard down and in his place stood Gotham’s vigilante.

“What is it, Bruce?” she asked.

“I didn’t realize how late it was,” he evenly replied, the stoic Bat fully in place. “I have to get ready for patrol.”

“Might you delay patrol for a little while longer until our guest leaves?” Alfred pointedly inquired, giving him a disapproving look that spoke volumes about what he was thinking of Bruce’s rudeness.

“Diana understands,” Bruce firmly stated. “I have to get things taken care of in Gotham before being out of the country for several days.”

“It’s all right,” Diana reassured both men. “I should return to the Watchtower. I have an early monitor duty shift in the morning.”

“Be here tomorrow when you’re done at the ‘Tower so we can continue our preparation for the mission,” he told her. “We have a lot of work to do.”

“Is that a request or an order, Commander?” she asked, her eyes flashing in warning. It was obvious he was really beginning to push his limits with her.

Bruce drew a deep breath, forcing himself to be courteous despite the fact he was anxious to get downstairs and start preparations for the night. Besides, he couldn’t very well patrol with a broken jaw. “Would you please come here after you’ve finished with your shift, Diana?”

“Yes, I’ll be here,” she replied with a victorious grin. “There is a lot we need to review before we leave for England.”

“How long is your shift tomorrow morning, Miss Diana?” Alfred asked. 

“I’ll probably be here around noon at the latest,” she thoughtfully decided.

“I’ll have lunch ready for you when you arrive,” the British butler offered.

Bruce growled to himself, knowing he was only setting himself up for more trouble. Alfred had already managed to manipulate them into having dinner together tonight by telling stories from his past, regaling them with tales that he had refused to divulge to anyone up until now.

“Whatever,” Bruce bit out with a huff of irritation. “Just be here tomorrow so we can prepare for Saturday night’s banquet.”

Bruce stalked from the kitchen, leaving Alfred and Diana alone. “I must apologize for Master Bruce’s offensive behavior,” Alfred said with a sigh as he shook his head in disappointment. “I’ve tried to teach that boy manners over the years, but I see that my efforts have been in vain.”

Diana reached over and placed a reassuring hand on top of the elder man’s. “Alfred, you have nothing to be sorry about. Bruce is a very good man with many wonderful, albeit sometimes infuriating, qualities. I’ve come to accept that this is just the way he is. To try to change him now would mean changing the man I’ve come to care about as a very good friend.”

Alfred’s exasperated expression softened, a gentle smile forming on his lips. “You are a very compassionate, long-suffering soul, Miss Diana,” he replied. “He is very lucky to have a good friend such as you.”

A blush formed on her cheeks as she averted her eyes, afraid of revealing the fact that she had once longed for more with Bruce, but had given up hope for anything more. She had a feeling that, as intuitive as Alfred was, he probably already suspected something more lingered in her heart for her teammate that she didn’t want to talk about let alone dwell on right now. While she loved him, she was beginning to believe it was just as futile now as it was months ago when she had broached the subject of them dating.

“Thank you, Alfred,” she said with a nod, “and thank you for today. I had a wonderful time with you, despite the attempted robbery.”

Alfred turned his hand, capturing hers before she could pull it away. “May I ask a favor of you, Miss Diana?”

“Certainly,” she quickly confirmed with a furrowed brow, gently squeezing his hand. “Anything you want.”

“Please don’t give up on Master Bruce,” he knowingly told her. “He can be most difficult to deal with, especially at the best of times. He has a good heart even though it has been broken more times than I can recount. It’s one of the reasons that he keeps everyone at arms’ length I’m afraid. I just ask that you keep that in mind.”

She felt her gut tighten, sensing where this was going, but not wanting to discuss it. “Alfred, I don’t understand what—” she began, slowly shaking her head, mostly in refusal of being taken down a path she was uncertain about.

“Oh, but I think you do,” he gently replied, squeezing her hand in return. “Master Bruce has had a very rough go of it when it comes to matters of love and relationships. They have only further served to cement the walls that he’s built up around his heart, causing him to keep people at a distance. Please, don’t let that stop you following what you know beats in your heart.”

Diana studied him for a long moment, weighing his words and trying to decide just how much she truly wanted to reveal. What exactly did she know in her heart? Apart from the fact that she did love Bruce and that longed to explore it further, she knew nothing more. Just because she wanted him did it make it right or worth pursuing?

She was apprehensive about actually admitting it to herself let alone voicing it to Alfred. She had gotten her hopes up before, Bruce drawing her in only to push her away. It was a tug-o-war that they’d been dancing to for almost three years now. She didn’t know how much longer she could continue to do it or if she even wanted to anymore. He’d had yet to discuss the kiss they’d shared. Did she really expect him to?

“I promise to always be his friend, Alfred,” she finally, softly answered him. “I wish I could promise more, but…well, you know Bruce. I’m afraid not even an Amazon blessed by the gods could get through that wall.”

“You sell yourself short, Miss Diana,” he cryptically said, releasing her hand. “I think you’d be surprised if you only realized just how much you’ve truly been able to achieve so far.”

Diana couldn’t help but wonder what the British butler meant with his choice of words, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to expand upon it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Alfred,” she replied as she stood to her feet to gather her things, needing to get back to the Watchtower.

She needed time to think right now, to decide what she was going to do about Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So no thief in this chapter or the next, but we will most definitely get back to him and John & Shayera. Just need to focus a little on my BMWW obsession. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_**Gotham; October 1st, 18:02 EST** _

Diana checked her appearance one more time in the floor length mirror before her. She could still hardly believe that she was doing this. She and Bruce were going out on a date…well, a date of sorts. Even though it wasn’t the kind that she was hoping for, she wasn’t going to let that get in the way tonight.

She was going to enjoy tonight even if it was just to establish a relationship between the two of them in order to go to England to capture their ever elusive thief. Still, she couldn’t help the faint flutter of excitement that consumed her.

She was a little disappointed that she couldn’t go out tonight as herself, but she understood how important it was to protect Bruce’s identity and therefore her own. She was anxious to see how Zatanna’s magical charm necklace was going to completely transform her look.

Reaching for the magical piece of jewelry that the magician had created for her, Diana heard a knock at the door. “Yes?” she called, putting the necklace on.

“It’s just me,” Bruce called through the door. “I’m heading downstairs. We should be leaving here in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she replied. “I’m almost ready.”

Diana was stunned as she stared at the woman in the mirror. She lifted her hand, lightly running her fingers through her auburn hair with blond highlights. The emerald green eyes gazing back at her was startling to behold. Gone was her naturally bronzed skin tone and in its place was a fair complexion with a smattering of freckles.

She didn’t even recognize herself. There was no way that anyone else would identify her as Wonder Woman. She was now Diana Prince, a museum curator. Turning from side to side, she decided that she rather liked this new look. It gave her a sense of freedom that she’d never felt before.

Drawing a deep breath, she picked up her clutch before leaving the guest room that Alfred had set aside for her to get ready for tonight. She knew that she could’ve very well gotten ready for tonight on the Watchtower, but Alfred had insisted she spend this afternoon pampering herself. She had to admit that she had fallen in love with the enormous bathtub with the massaging jets. She was going to have to try to talk Bruce into letting her have one in her bathroom on the Watchtower.

Making her way downstairs, she found herself anxious to see Bruce’s reaction to her new look. Alfred had helped her chose this dress, reassuring her that it was absolutely perfect. It was a cobalt blue A-line v-neck Carmeuse floor-length evening gown. 

The bodice left little to the imagination, revealing plenty of cleavage down to her waist. The straps came over her shoulders to meet at the base of her neck and leaving her back bare. It was definitely one of the most elegant dresses that she’d ever seen, making her feel beautiful. She just hoped that Bruce agreed.

Entering the kitchen, she found Bruce standing at the counter in his tux talking to Alfred. He turned to look at her, his jaw immediately clenching and his eyes narrowing. She wasn’t certain if that was a good sign or not, but she hoped that it was, especially when he didn’t say anything to her.

“Miss Diana,” Alfred greeted her with an appreciative grin. “You look positively stunning.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” she replied, somewhat embarrassed as both men stared at her. “You did a great job picking out the dress.”

“That wasn’t all my doing,” the elderly man countered. “I just helped pick out the color. You were the one who found the dress.”

She smiled softly, wishing that Bruce would say something as she glanced down at her dress. Clearing his throat, Bruce asked, “If you’re ready, we should go.”

She did her best to hide her disappointment as she looked up at him, confused by his reaction to her new look. “I’m ready whenever you are,” she replied, hurt by his lack of response.

“Master Bruce, if I may have a brief word with you,” Alfred snapped, clearly angered about something.

“Not now, Alfred,” Bruce told him. “If we don’t leave soon, we’re going to be late. Is the limousine parked out front?”

“Yes, I will gather my coat and meet you outside,” he said, glaring daggers at his ward as he promptly left the kitchen.

“Bruce, are you unhappy with my new look?” she asked, worry causing her brow to furrow. “If you are, I can contact Zatanna and—”

“No, you look fine,” he interrupted. “We better get going.”

Disheartened, Diana followed him out through the front door to find Alfred waiting beside the limousine with the back door open for them. She forced a smile as she got into the back of the car, being careful of her dress as she slid over to make room for Bruce.

To her surprise, the back door abruptly slammed shut right after her, leaving her alone inside as Alfred spoke to Bruce. They were speaking in very hushed tones, making it next to impossible for her to hear from inside the car, but it was obvious that Alfred was furious with Bruce.

After almost a minute, the door opened and Bruce got in. He gave her a small smile that held absolutely no warmth to it at all as he settled in beside her. “Is everything all right?” she asked, her clutch resting in her lap.

“Yes, everything is just fine,” Bruce lied through his teeth as he leveled his butler with a patented Batglare as Alfred glared back in the rearview mirror.

Bruce readily hit the button that caused the partition glass to rise, giving them some privacy and keeping Alfred out of his business for the time being. He stared straight ahead, afraid of making eye contact with her. She looked unbelievably gorgeous tonight and he didn’t feel he could trust himself to not make an absolute fool out of himself right now.

“Do you remember your back story?” he asked, checking his cell phone.

“Bruce, we ran through it like a dozen times already,” she replied with an annoyed sigh. “You quizzed me repeatedly on every single detail.”

“When did we first meet?”

“Two years ago in Greece,” she recited.

“And then?”

“We didn’t see each other again until the Gotham museum Egyptian unveiling,” she ground out. 

He’d been questioning her relentlessly about it most of the afternoon. She’d always known that he was meticulous with every single detail, but this was bordering on obsession. She was surprised he hadn’t followed her into the bathroom when she’d gone to talk her bath to get ready for tonight.

“Have we kissed yet?”

Diana’s annoyance morphed into a Cheshire-like grin as she leaned in close to him, her hand coming to rest high on his thigh. “Most definitely,” she seductively purred in his ear, her tongue sneaking out to trace the edge of it.

Bruce shivered involuntarily in response to her warm breath, the feel of her tongue against his ear. He swallowed hard, doing his best to keep his expression stoic. He knew she’d already caught his reaction to her. There was no sense digging himself an even deeper hole.

“Where are you employed now?”

“I’m currently a freelance consultant specializing in Greek artifacts,” she continued, her hand caressing his thigh.

She’d been somewhat surprised by the reaction that she’d been able to elicit from him, curious to find out how much further she could push him before he finally cracked. She allowed herself to fully press herself against his side as she nibbled on his earlobe.

She heard an almost imperceptible gasp as he grew rigid against her. She felt the muscles in his thigh tense beneath her hand, causing her lips to curl with amusement. She was most definitely seeing a splintering crack in his thick armor. It was only a matter of time.

“What are you doing, Princess?” he growled the question, his voice husky as his hand came to rest on top of hers on his thigh, keeping her from moving any closer to his groin.

“Ah, it’s Diana to you, Mister Wayne,” she reprimanded him, remaining close to him. “You can’t make a slip like that out in public or we’ll both be busted.”

“It wasn’t a slip up,” he claimed with a scowl. “We’re not out in public yet… _Princess_.”

The way that he ground out her title was her reward, letting her know that she was winning the battle. If he could play it cool and uninterested, then she could prove to him just how interested he truly was. Whether he liked it or not, she had seen it…felt it in the passionate kiss they had shared in the cave.

While she still had doubts about whether or not he’d actually pursue something more with her, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he felt something for her that went far beyond what was considered proper or appropriate to feel for a teammate or someone considered a friend. Now, it was just a matter of making him realize that.

“Bruce, I won’t let you down,” she solemnly promised him. “You know you can trust me.”

Without thinking, Bruce turned to look at her, finding himself staring into green eyes filled with such warmth. It was startling to say the least, something that was going to take some getting used to. Even though she looked positively stunning as a redhead with emerald eyes, nothing could possibly come close to the beauty he found in the raven haired, blue-eyed goddess from Themyscira.

“I trust you more than anyone,” he softly admitted, finding it difficult to tear his gaze away from her.

His eyes fell to her lips, finding himself fighting the intense desire to kiss her right now. The strong pull of attraction was almost too difficult to battle, a war that he was growing weary of fighting. The man in him would love nothing more than to just give in to what he wanted more than anything in this life.

_“Let her in, Bruce…allow yourself to finally have what we have wanted for so long,” his elder self told him. “Don’t make the same mistakes that I did. You’ll only live to regret it.”_

_“How do I know that allowing myself to truly love her will save her or myself?”_

_“Trust me…trust yourself,” the elderly man said. “Listen to your heart, Bruce.”_

_“You know I haven’t listened to my heart since I was eight years old,” he ground out with a sneer._

_“Then, it’s high time you learned how to.”_

Bruce drew a steadying breath in an effort to get a grasp on his emotions that were rapidly beginning to spin out of his control. His hand moved to cradle her jaw, his heart beating a little harder. He wanted to kiss her again so badly, memories of their last kiss fueling his desire.

The car suddenly pulled to a stop, alerting them that they had arrived at their destination already. He quickly pulled his hand away as if he’d been burned, straightening up and facing forward. “We’re here,” he told her.

“Time to give the performance of a lifetime,” she told him, tucking away her disappointment that their almost kiss had been interrupted. The night was young, though.

Alfred opened the back door, stepping aside and allowing the occupants out. Bruce exited first before turning and offering his hand to his date. Diana placed her hand in his as she exited the limousine. He tightened his hold on her hand as they made their way up the steps to the magnificent hotel the dinner was being held at.

Cameras flashed and reporters yelled their questions, everyone wanting to know who the beautiful redhead was on Bruce Wayne’s arm. She smiled warmly, doing her best to navigate the steps while being completely blinded by the camera flashes.

The doorman held the door open for them, allowing them entrance. Bruce nodded at him as he squeezed her hand before gently pulling her aside. “You did great,” he whispered. “Can you see yet?”

“Not quite,” she revealed. “Why? Can you?”

“Yes, but I’ve learned how to deal with it.”

“Why are there so many reporters out there for a Wayne Enterprises appreciation dinner?”

“Someone may have let it slip that Bruce Wayne has a new girlfriend,” he revealed with a smirk.

She shook her head in amazement as they began making their way towards the ballroom again. “You always think of everything don’t you?”

“Someone has to,” he teased, his playboy grin firmly in place.

She chuckled in response as he tucked her arm around his, anxious to make sure everyone knew that she was with him and him alone. He was a little startled by this unexpected wave of possessiveness that drifted through him, but he pushed it aside to dwell on later. Right now, he needed to sell the idea of him and Diana to everyone else. He had a sneaking suspicion, though; it wasn’t going to be a very difficult sell.

“Remember, no matter what happens tonight, do not…I repeat…do not punch me through a wall,” he softly reminded her. “I have an image that I’ve cultivated over the years. If I don’t continue in that same vein, people will become suspicious.”

“I understand, Bruce,” she reassured him. “Let’s just hope over time I’ll influence you to change your playboy ways.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, uncertain if she was talking about the playboy or the Bat. He had a sneaking suspicion she was referring to both parts of him. “Do you always like to take on the impossible?”

“Always,” she replied with a grin. “I love a challenge and you are most definitely that.”

He shook his head in amusement, uncertain if he was grateful for that fact or scared spitless. He didn’t have time to think about it as Lucius Fox approached. “Bruce, glad to see that you made it on time for once,” he teased with an expression of fondness.

“I thought I’d better be on time seeing how it is my company and my money being spent on the appreciation dinner,” he quipped.

“That never stopped you from being late to board meetings,” Lucius replied with a grin.

“That’s because I know I only have the very best looking out for my company,” he told him. “Lucius, I’d like you to meet my date. This is Diana Prince. Diana, this is my good friend Lucius Fox.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Fox,” she greeted him with a warm smile, shaking his hand.

“Please, Mister Fox was my father,” Lucius said. “Call me Lucius.”

“Lucius here is my second in command,” he revealed.

“That’s very impressive, Lucius,” Diana commented. “Bruce must have a great deal of faith in you. It’s not easy for him to trust that many people.”

Bruce internally winced with the subtle jab, hoping that Lucius didn’t pick up on it. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to, taking it in stride. “I am blessed to work with such a generous and honorable man as this one here,” he agreed, clapping Bruce on the shoulder.

The younger man chuckled in response. “Your bonus check will be in the mail tomorrow,” he teased.

“Well, I think they’re about to get started,” Lucius notified them. “We should probably find our seats.”

Heads turned as the stunning couple made their way to the table reserved for them. Lucius Fox’s wife Tanya was already seated at the table along with two other couples. Bruce pulled out her chair for his date, Diana looking at him for a second with a flash of annoyance in her eyes, but acquiesced without a word.

Bruce smiled to himself as he sat down next to her, knowing how uncomfortable Diana was when it came to chivalrous gestures. She was definitely being forced to swallow her pride and submit to the lead of a man. He couldn’t help wondering how long she would allow it before she started breaking bones.

“Where have you been hiding this absolutely stunning woman, Bruce?” Mrs. Davidson asked with a mischeivious grin from Diana’s right. “I’m Eleanor Davidson. My husband Nolan works with Bruce.”

“This is Diana Prince,” Bruce introduced his date. “She’s a consultant specializing in Greek artifacts.”

He introduced his date to everyone at the table, his arm coming to rest along the top of the back of her chair. His fingers lightly caressed her bare shoulder, causing the fine hair on her arm to stand on end in response. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. If he knew what he was doing to her with his barest of touches, he wasn’t letting on as he chuckled at something Lucius had just said.

She drew a deep breath through her nose in an effort to calm the emotion stirring inside of her, turning her attention to Mrs. Davidson to her right. She was growing rather flustered with his sensual touch. She managed to keep a cool façade in place despite what her insides were doing at that moment.

“So, my dear, where are you from?” Mrs. Davidson asked. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you in Gotham before.”

“I was born in Greece, but moved to New York City a few years ago,” she replied flawlessly. “I’ve travelled extensively over the years with my work, but I’ll be staying in Gotham for the time being.”

“Well, don’t let this young man’s reputation deter you,” Eleanor warned her. “He just needs the right woman to give him a little direction and I think you just might be her. You seem very intelligent and kind. I can sense these things you know. It’s obvious that you like him and he seems very smitten with you.”

Diana did her best to conceal the warmth that she could feel suffusing her cheeks. Could this woman really sense her true feelings for Bruce? She was doing her best to keep a tight rein on them, but it was difficult with his fingers tracing nonsensical patterns on her shoulder. She couldn’t help wondering if he could feel the shiver that continually raced up her spine with his focused attention.

“We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks,” Diana told her, knowing that Bruce was listening in on their conversation. What did he think about Mrs. Davidson’s intuition that she was the one for him?

It was obvious that he wasn’t ready to deal with that passionate kiss they had shared the other night. While she wasn’t going to press him about it, she also wasn’t going to run away from it again. She’d already tried that before after the rooftop conversation that had involved a list of reasons why not to date. It had only led to her feelings growing stronger beneath the surface and beneath her notice.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he moved his arm from her shoulders. She took the opportunity to reach for his hand beneath the table, lacing her fingers with his and pulling their joined hands into her lap. She felt him briefly stiffen only to relax as she caressed the back of his hand with her thumb.

Two could play whatever game that he wanted to play tonight.

Diana tried to listen as Mrs. Davidson prattled on about how she had met her husband and the three children that they shared together. Her thoughts, however, were focused more so on the man sitting beside her. His shoulder rested against hers as he spoke with Mr. Davidson on the other side of his wife, his masculine scent nearly overwhelming her.

She began to lose herself as the evening went on, the lines between fantasy and reality…the boundaries between teammates and potential lovers beginning to blur and become harder to distinguish. The food had been fabulous and the company at the table more than enjoyable.

Lucius Fox had surprisingly been a great storyteller, sharing one story after another about Bruce learning how to run the company in his early days as president. She was surprised to see the way that Bruce’s cheeks tinted pink with the endless stories, sharing in the endless stream of laughter.

Bruce grinned at Diana who was trying to contain her laughter, but was finding it more than difficult. She was radiant as she wiped a tear of laughter from her cheek. Her face was slightly flushed, her countenance practically glowing with her smile. The amusement that lit her green eyes was mesmerizing, her happiness contagious.

He didn’t think that he’d ever had such an enjoyable time at one of these events as he was tonight. He knew it had everything to do with the beautiful woman sitting next to him. She seemed to attract the light only to refract it back to everyone blessed enough to be in her presence.

When he was with her, he couldn’t help but smile, couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped of its own volition. It was so unusual to feel so happy and light, to find the heavy burden that he carried inside of him lifted if only for a little while. As much as he craved this feeling, it terrified him at the same time.

Would embracing this contentment and happiness that he experienced when he was with her end up obliterating the raw fury and bitterness that gave him the edge that he needed to do what he did every single night? Could he still be the night? Still be vengeance incarnate?

They were diametrical opposed to each other. It was like yin and yang, contrary forces that couldn’t possibly exist within the same soul. Maybe…just maybe he didn’t need to be the light. Could he let her be the light and he still be the night that he needed to be?

It was definitely something that he was going to have to think about, but now was not the time. Now, he needed to go give his speech to his friends and employees. He stood to his feet, glancing down to find Diana staring up at him with eyes sparkling like rare diamonds. The look of adoration on her face was too much for him to ignore.

Without a second thought, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips, taking them both by surprise. “I’ll be right back,” he murmured before turning away.

Diana was stunned by the kiss, wondering how much was pure impulse…coming from his free will…and how much of it had been the actions of a billionaire playboy. In that moment, she wanted to believe that it had come from the heart of the real Bruce, but she feared hoping.

Completely mesmerized, she watched as he made his way to the podium, admiring once more the cut of his tux and how well he wore it. She wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of skin and muscle that lay hidden beneath the expensive material.

The applause was near deafening as Bruce came to stand behind the podium. Despite his reputation, it was clear that these people still loved him and appreciated what he tried to do for his company and those who worked for him. It made her heart melt with adoration for him, her smile revealing her pride.

Bruce’s gaze roamed across the room, but quickly settled on his date. He swore he’d never had another woman look at him with such affection and esteem as she did. He didn’t think that her smile could be any bigger or light up her face any brighter. It was all for him and him alone.

He just wanted to stand there and bask in its warmth and the intensity of her emotions for as long as there was breath in his body, but he couldn’t. He knew in that moment that not only did he love her but it was irrevocable and complete. He’d never love another woman and never to this degree. It was an all-consuming emotion that he felt to the very depths of his soul. 

He drew a deep breath in an effort to gather himself, Mrs. Davidson giving him a knowing look as she glanced at Diana before returning her gaze to him. “First of all, I want to thank you all for coming tonight,” Bruce began, wishing now that he had taken the time to write up his speech. 

He usually just winged it, saying whatever came to his mind and playing up his partying image. Having Diana here with him, staring at him as if he was the most important person in the whole world to her, he couldn’t begin to form coherent thoughts let alone make his mouth function. Right now, he wanted nothing to do with that repulsive image that he had been forced to cultivate, wanting nothing more than to make her proud and be every bit of the man that she somehow believed he could be.

Bruce decided to speak from the heart, sharing his deep appreciation for each of them and the hard work that they put in every day. He shared how he believed that his father would’ve been very proud of what they’d been able to accomplish if he were here to see it.

Diana noticed the slight crack in his voice as he spoke about his father. It probably wasn’t even noticed by those in attendance, but she had caught it. She felt her eyes grow moist, knowing how difficult it was for him to talk about his parents. She wanted to go up there and hold him in her arms and stroke his hair, reassuring him that she would never leave him.

Their eyes met in that moment, a myriad of emotions passing between them in the space of a heartbeat. They both felt it, a special bond that could never be broken. It was something that not even time or death could begin to erase. Neither knew how it came to be or what exactly had created it, only that it existed.

The intensity of the moment was too overwhelming, forcing Bruce to break eye contact with her, finding it difficult to catch his breath. For her part, Diana reached for her glass of wine, finding that the banquet room had unexpectedly grown substantially warmer.

Bruce finished his speech, making the presentation to Lucius for his years of faithful service as well as several other individuals. Finished with his duties, he returned to his seat beside Diana who gave him a warm smile of approval.

He fought back the intense desire to hold her hand. As much as he had a reputation to maintain, he was feeling too many emotions right now when it came to Diana. He couldn’t trust himself to stop with just holding her hand. He wanted much more. With the way his heart was beating and his groin was beginning to throb, he feared he couldn’t help but pull her into a side room in order to show her how much he wanted her.

The feel of her hand in his wouldn’t be near enough to sate the desire coursing through his veins. If he kissed her, it would only lead to what he wanted, but it was not the answer to his problems. There had to be a logical way to keep her from dying without surrendering his heart only to singlehandedly destroy her himself in the end.

“You were wonderful up there,” she leaned in and murmured in his ear, her voice like velvet and her warm breath like a gentle caress.

Her hand came to rest on his forearm as she softly kissed him on the cheek. He was certain she could hear the way his heart was hammering out of rhythm. He swallowed hard before murmuring “thank you”, finding it difficult to meet her gaze. He feared that she would discover what he was thinking about at that moment, how he wanted her more than his next breath.

Thankfully, Lucius intervened at that moment, clapping him on the back and asking if his award meant that he had the next two weeks off work. Bruce chuckled in response as he turned his attention to his long-time friend. “No way,” he quipped. “Now I expect overtime out of you.”

The two friends bantered back and forth when a hand on Bruce’s shoulder and her lips against his ear brought that desire roaring back to the surface all over again. “I’m going to the lady’s room,” she told him. “When I get back, I expect a dance with you, Mister Wayne.”

Channeling his playboy persona, he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, his intense azure eyes darkening. “Don’t be long, Miss Prince,” he replied. “I might get lonely.”

Diana resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his flirtatious comment, knowing that nothing of the sort was going to happen between them. Playing the part, she smiled seductively, allowing her fingernails to lightly drag along his jaw line. “I’ll more than make it up to you, Mister Wayne…I promise.”

Bruce nearly swallowed his tongue with her response, but managed to keep a somewhat cool façade firmly in place. She was most definitely going to be the death of him. It’d be a miracle if he survived this case. Working with her was proving just as difficult if not more so than he had originally believed.

Lucius’s laughter pulled Bruce from his suddenly lustful thoughts. “You certainly have your hands full with that one,” he told him. “I believe you’ve finally met your match, Bruce.”

Bruce released a subtle sigh, his gaze lingering on the spot where Diana had just disappeared around the corner. “I have absolutely no doubt about that.”

“Have you had a chance to review the specs on the newly designed systems upgrade?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, and I have to say that I definitely like what I saw,” he agreed. “I think we can make a lot of money from it if we can get it off the ground as soon as possible.”

“All right you two,” Tanya interrupted them. “No shop talk tonight. You’re here to have fun with the beautiful women in your lives. Now, make the most of it.”

“She’s right you know,” Lucius decided with a nod, turning his attention to his wife. “May I have this dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she replied with a beaming smile as she took his offered hand.

Bruce stood to his feet as Diana returned, a warm smile on his face and a renewed intensity lighting his eyes. It caused a shiver to unexpectedly race up her spine as she approached. “Dance with me?” he proposed, holding his hand out to her.

Her lips curled with pleasure as she willingly took his hand, not failing to notice that she was finally going to get the dance that they never got to finish in Paris. She couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking the same thing too, remembering the night she had learned his secret identity. It was what had caused the spark he had lit inside of her long ago to begin to burn that much brighter.

She’d tried valiantly to snuff that pesky flame out after that ridiculous list of reasons recited on a nighttime rooftop, but she obviously hadn’t done a very good job of it. The flame had only intensified and, the hotter it had become, the harder she had tried to ignore it all together. She’d refused to acknowledge it was even there.

Now, she no longer could. 

She was going to have to decide what she was going to do about it. While she didn’t want to just let what was growing between them go, she knew she might be forced to if Bruce chose not to pursue this with her. It was something that made her heart sink, but she refused to pine after him or beg him to be with her. She would never sink to that humiliating level.

It would hurt for a while, but she knew that she would survive, moving on and smothering these feelings for him once and for all. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy this time she was getting to spend with him, allowing herself the luxury of believing it was real just for a little while.

The feel of his hand holding hers, the other low on her back was making the fantasy that much more tantalizing. She allowed herself to relish the moment, pressing her temple against his and wondering what he was thinking at that moment.

Bruce felt a persistent flutter in his stomach as he held her close, her temple resting against his feeling so right. He closed his eyes, savoring this intimate moment with her in his arms. There were no other words that could possibly begin to describe tonight. It had truly been perfect in every way imaginable. 

He couldn’t help wishing that it would never end, but he knew that it eventually had to. It always did for him one way or another. She’d have to return to the Watchtower while he went out on patrol instead of taking her to his bedroom like he desperately wanted to.

He couldn’t help lamenting the fact that life had a very nasty way of stealing what he cared about most and she was proving no different.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**_London, England; October 3rd, 09:36 UTC+1_ **

Alex paced back and forth, his arms crossed and his head lowered. The grim expression that adorned his face did little to convey the true extent of his worry and fear at that moment as he waited. He felt like he’d been waiting for hours, but it had only been about half an hour.

He raised his right hand to chew on his thumbnail, wishing for an answer soon. She was the last thread that held his sanity together. He feared if it snapped…he couldn’t begin to think about it. The constant ache he carried in his chest expanded tenfold and nearly stole his breath.

“If ye don’t stop pacing like that, ye going to wear a path in my freshly scrubbed floor,” Annaliesa good-naturedly complained.

He looked up with a sharp scowl, his anger clearly visible not only in his eyes but his entire stance as well. “It is my home and if I want to dig a bloody trench ten feet deep through the middle of my foyer with nothing but a spoon then I bloody will,” he exploded in a burst of anger.

Annaliesa just stared at him for a long moment, completely unfazed by his outburst. A single gray eyebrow cocked as she appraised him, waiting to see if he was done with his tantrum. “Are ye quite finished?”

Alex’s shoulders slumped as he averted his eyes in discomfiture. “You just don’t—”

“Don’t ye bloody tell me I don’t understand, young man,” she scolded him as if he were a petulant child. “I have been in service to this family long before ye were even thought of by yer mum and dad. I’ve seen the happiest moments and the very worst that could possibly happen in the Bristow household so don’t even try to that bull-rubbish with me.”

“I…I can’t lose her, Annaliesa,” he choked out, swallowing back the tears that began to clog his throat. “She’s all that I have left in the world.”

Annaliesa closed the distance between them, placing a motherly hand on his shoulder. “Ye know as well as I do that yer mum and dad wouldn’t want ye living like this,” she gently reminded him. “Ye have so much left ahead of ye. Yer mum and dad wouldn’t want ye clinging to the past like this. They would want ye to be happy…to fall in love and start a family of yer own.”

Alex abruptly turned to fully face her, allowing himself a momentary lapse in restraint by enveloping her in his arms and hanging onto her with all that he had in him. “I miss them…so very much,” he whispered, afraid to test his voice any further.

“I know ye do, Master Alex,” she murmured, patting his back despite her surprise at his sudden show of affection and need for comfort. He hadn’t let her hold him like this since the funeral twenty-five years ago. “I miss them too. Ye all are my family.”

Alex quickly released her, silently admonishing himself for losing control like that. Aadarsh would be quite disappointed in him. He straightened his jacket, steeling himself before turning to look back at the double doors that led into the converted ballroom. 

“What if she doesn’t pull out of it this time?” he softly asked, a haunting tone to his voice.

“She’s had fevers before, Master Alex,” she reminded him. “She’s a tough gal. She always pulls through.”

“She’s not going to pull through one of these times,” he replied. “Her poor body can’t handle much more. The last infection really weakened her.”

“If the good Lord decides to take her, then we’ll need to learn to accept it,” she told him. “At least then she won’t have to suffer on this Earth any longer.”

“I won’t accept it…I’ll never accept it,” Alex bitterly spat out. “He already took my parents away from me. He can’t have my sister too. He just…He can’t.”

Annaliesa watched as Alex stormed off, heading upstairs. He was more than likely fleeing to Ava’s bedroom. That was where he always went when he needed to think or when he was trying to run away from things that he couldn’t begin to deal with.

She shook her head as she moved to sit in a chair in the foyer to wait for the doctor, fearing what losing Ava would mean for Alex. It would either be the biggest blessing that the good Lord could give him, allowing him the chance to finally let go of the past and embrace the future or it would be the final blow to his sanity.

Alex quickly climbed the stairs, needing to catch his breath again. It felt as if he was suffocating, the air around him vanishing and causing his lungs to burn. He passed by his bedroom, passed by his parents’ bedroom which had been locked the day after their funeral and never reopened again.

Coming to stand in front of his twin sister’s bedroom, he drew a deep breath before turning the handle and entering. It was just like stepping back in time as he passed through the doorway, the ache in his chest easing somewhat. Her room was just as it had been the day that he lost everything that he held dear to him—the same wallpaper, the blue curtains and bedspread, the same stuffed animals on her bed that had been waiting for her to return that fateful night.

He wandered around the large bedroom, taking his time as memories of happier times flooded him. He paused to lightly run his fingers over the soft fur of her favorite teddy bear he had gotten her for her sixth birthday. She’d carried it around with her everywhere she went for a whole year.

He moved on to the stuffed horse sitting on the shelf next to it. He missed riding horses with her, swimming for hours in the pool and going on bike rides all over the grounds. They were best friends, sharing the bond of not only brother and sister but also being twins.

Even though she had survived that horrible car accident, she had never been the same, locked inside her own mind and body, unable to expression the slightest bit of emotion or utter a single syllable. It broke his heart like nothing else ever could.

He’d never given up hope that she’d get better someday, making certain that she had the best care since the day they had brought here home from the hospital. Unfortunately, nothing had ever made any difference. She’d never recovered, would never be his same Ava ever again.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Alex reached over and picked up a framed picture of him and Ava. They had gone for a horseback ride, just returning when their mother had captured the moment. It had been taken just a couple of months before the accident and yet he remembered that day as if it had just happened yesterday.

He lightly ran the tips of his fingers over the picture, wishing more than anything that he could have had just one more day like that with his sister…with his family. Now, though, he was all that was left. His parents were gone and his twin sister was nothing more than an empty shell leaving him alone.

Doctors had told him for years to let her go, but he just couldn’t do that…wouldn’t do that to her. He refused to give up on her, but now the decision might just have been taken from his hands. He didn’t know how she would survive another fever, her body still recovering from having pneumonia not that long ago.

Setting the picture back down on the bedside table, he stood to his feet and walked over to her dresser. He picked up the sapphire bracelet lying on top of it. It was her favorite color, mostly because it was their birthstone. Their grandmother had given Ava a piece of jewelry with her birthstone in it every year for her birthday. It was something that his sister had always treasured especially after losing their grandmother when they were nine years old.

Alex smiled to himself, remembering how Ava used to play dress up, putting all of her sapphire jewelry on in order to have a full-fledged tea party with her stuffed animals. Annaliesa would even make small scones for Ava to serve at her tea parties. He usually wasn’t one for joining in on such a girlish thing, but the smell of the warm scones occasionally got the better of him and he would grudgingly join in long enough to enjoy the treat with a smattering of jam.

He missed those days so much it hurt, wishing now that he had taken the opportunity to join in every single time she had put on her best dress and jewelry, lining up her dolls and stuffed animals around the small table in her bedroom that their father had made for her. Now, it didn’t seem so girlish. He would give everything he had to go back to those happier times.

A soft knock at the door alerted him it was time to meet with the doctor. Drawing a deep breath, he placed the bracelet on the dresser, steeling himself as he crossed the bedroom on legs that felt like rubber. He tried his best to control the faint tremble that settled into his fingers as he reached for the door handle, but failed miserably.

Opening the door, the expression on Annaliesa’s face told him everything that he needed to know.

**_Watchtower; October 3rd, 18:06 EST_ **

Diana sat at a table in the commissary with her tablet in hand, her attention solely on the files that Bruce had sent her on the staff at the Leo Vanover estate. She wanted everything firmly in her mind before they left in three days.

She absentmindedly reached for her iced mocha as she frowned at the list of names, wishing she could discover if any of these people were somehow involved in these thefts. She was beginning to have a hard time believing the man was capable of pulling off all these thefts by himself. He was either a Meta or the greatest thief of all time. Either way, he was going down.

Bruce was loathe to accept that he might be a Meta or possessed any magical abilities until he had more proof. She, on the other hand, was a little more willing to consider the possibility. It was one that could not be ignored even if Bruce was unwilling to contemplate it.

She knew how much he hated magic and his wariness of Metas was no secret. She had taken it personally at first when she had discovered it, but had soon realized that it was just Bruce being his usual paranoid self, not something she needed to be offended about.

As she perused the names, she couldn’t help wondering if maybe one of them was the actual thief. She found it rather unlikely, but she wasn’t taking anything for granted in this investigation. She wanted to catch this thief and prove herself capable to Bruce.

She didn’t know why it was so important to her to prove that she was more than capable of handling herself on a case like this. She’d never felt the need to prove herself to anyone until she’d met Bruce. There was just something about the mortal man that made her want to show him she wasn’t just some Meta who was all brawn and no brains.

Maybe it was because Bruce was so highly intelligent and that he was such a gifted detective. Maybe it was because she admired and respected him so much. Or maybe it was the fact that she had fallen for him without even realizing it or trying. Even though he was an arrogant pain in the neck at times, loving him just felt so effortless sometimes.

“There you are.”

Startled out of her thoughts, Diana looked up to find Zatanna standing before her table with her hands on her hips and a look of exasperation on her face. “Hi, Zatanna,” she greeted her. “What are you up to?”

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” she revealed as she took a seat across the table from her.

“What for?” Diana asked. “Do you need the charm necklace back?”

“No…not at all,” she replied with an impatient wave of her hand. “I want to hear all about how your date with Bruce went and don’t you dare leave a single detail out. I want to know everything from beginning to end.”

Zatanna’s excitement was unmistakable as she waited for the Amazon princess to spill the details. She was practically vibrating with apprehension, her blue eyes sparkling. Diana couldn’t help but chuckle in response to the magician’s enthusiasm.

“Zee, this wasn’t a real date you know,” Diana tried to tell her as she set aside her tablet, clasping her hands together in front of her and placing them on the table.

The magician narrowed her eyes as she stared at Diana in disbelief. “You can try to sell that drivel to anyone else you want, missy, but not to me. I know you and I know Batman. I was there when you were turned into a pig, remember? This was as close to a real date as the two of you can get until he gets his head out of his paranoid rump. Now, dish.”

Diana did her best not to seriously explode with laughter. Zatanna had an uncanny way of nailing a situation right on the head especially when it came to Bruce. She ignored the twinge of jealousy that sprouted inside of her, knowing that she and Bruce had a history of sorts together. 

She would always hold a special place in Bruce’s life and it was something that she needed to accept. Besides, she really did like Zatanna and she needed a friend now more than ever with her and Shayera barely being able to be in the same room together. It didn’t hurt that Zatanna knew Bruce better than anyone else besides Alfred.

“Fine,” Diana relented. “What exactly do you want to know?”

“Everything,” she demanded. “Did you know who like your new look? What did he say? Did his jaw drop?”

Diana thought for a moment, wondering what the real answer to that question truly was. Bruce wasn’t one to really reveal what he was thinking or allow his emotions to slip past that stoic mask that he kept plastered on his face. She assumed it was acceptable. He hadn’t sent her away to change. 

“I’m not sure. You know how he is,” she honestly replied. “He never lets his emotions show. He didn’t tell me to change my look or my dress so I guess I looked okay.”

Zatanna’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Okay? Okay?” she repeated. “Diana, you’d look gorgeous in a gunny sack with your two front teeth blacked out. I’m positive you looked gorgeous.”

“If you say so,” Diana murmured, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “You know he isn’t exactly forthcoming about what he thinks.”

“I know him very well,” she told her. “Tell me exactly how he reacted and I’ll interpret it for you.”

“Well, he did that clenching thing with his jaw like he always does,” she began, thinking back to two nights ago. “He just stared at me for a little while and then looked away.”

A grin spread across Zatanna’s face as she got a dreamy look in her eyes. “Oh, yah,” she said with a definitive nod. “You definitely blew him away.”

“You think so?”

“Heck yah!” she nearly cried. “You rendered him speechless, Diana! That’s a good thing.”

“That’s not saying much, Zee,” Diana pointed out. “He doesn’t talk much anyway.”

“Trust me,” she reassured her. “You rendered him stupid.”

Diana frowned in disbelief, still not entirely convinced. “If you say so,” she muttered, her gaze falling to iced mocha. 

She watched a trickle of condensation as it slowly slid down the outside of her glass, thinking back to that moment. It was hard to believe that what she had witnessed in Bruce when he’d seen her and what Zatanna was telling her was the same reaction. She wasn’t prepared to get her hopes up.

A hand sliding into view pulled her from her thoughts, coming to rest on top of hers. “Di, I know him very well,” she assured her. “The less he shows the more he feels. That’s just the way he is. He doesn’t know how to handle his emotions so he just shuts down…refuses to let anything show through.”

Diana slowly shook her head as she thought about it. “Every time I think that I understand him, he does something that completely confuses me. It’s so irritating that you just want to shake him until he comes to his senses and opens up.”

Zatanna chuckled as she sat back in her chair, folding her arms and resting them on top of the table. “You are definitely not alone,” she told her. “You’ve just described every single person who has ever had the pleasure of spending any length of time with him.”

“Well, he better be careful or I might end up throttling him,” she huffed in annoyance.

“What happened then?”

“We went to the banquet,” Diana continued, unsure how much she should tell her friend. She wasn’t certain she was quite ready to reveal all that she kept hidden in her heart. “He introduced me to some of his employees. We ate…he gave a speech…”

Diana’s voice trailed off, her thoughts taking her back to that moment during Bruce’s speech. She had felt such an intimate connection to him in that moment when their eyes had met. It had felt as if he had let her see directly into his soul.

Zatanna immediately picked up on the change in Diana’s demeanor, causing her to sit forward. “What is it?” she prodded. “Did something happen? Did he do something stupid that hurt you? Do I need to chew him out?”

“What? No…not at all,” Diana muttered with a frown. “In fact, it was…just the opposite.”

The magician scowled, growing frustrated with the lack of forthcoming information. “Diana, you’re not making any sense,” she said. “I can’t help you two if you don’t tell me what happened.”

Diana released a reluctant sigh, deciding it couldn’t hurt to talk to someone about what she had experienced. “I honestly don’t know how to describe it, Zee. He was giving his speech…talking about his father and our eyes met in that moment. There was so much emotion there as we stared at each other. I felt this…I don’t know what to call it. It was like sparks of electricity burning through every part of me.”

A smile slowing formed on Zatanna’s face, understanding filling her eyes. “You two are soul-bonded.”

“Soul-bonded?”

“Soul-bonded,” she confirmed. “Your souls are bonded to one another…linked as one.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Diana decided with a shake of her head. “Are you trying to tell me that that we’re soul mates?”

“Exactly,” Zatanna maintained with a grin that could only be described as giddy.

“We both know that he doesn’t believe in something as romantic as soul mates,” Diana insisted, still unconvinced. “I don’t even think I believe in the notion of soul mates.”

“Just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t exist,” the mage reminded her. “Many didn’t know that Amazons truly existed until you showed up to save the world.”

“True,” Diana reluctantly agreed. “Anyway, it only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like time had somehow screeched to a halt…everything else around us fading away. It was as if there was no one else there except for the two of us.”

“Do you think Bruce noticed it?”

“I think he did,” she thoughtfully supposed, her voice growing almost tender. “It was just the most wonderful, most unexpected feeling. It was almost magical in a way, but I know that it wasn’t magic.”

“Did you ever talk to him about it?”

“No,” she replied with a frown. “Afterwards, we danced, talked to some people and then left. When we returned to the manor, I transported back to the Watchtower and he went out on patrol.”

Zatanna sat straight up in shock and outright indignation. “That was it?” she exclaimed. “How can that be it? Didn’t you talk at all? Did he try to kiss you?”

“Well, we discussed the case some and our plans for going to England where the thief will strike again,” she explained. “He didn’t try to kiss me.”

“You two are pathetic,” Zatanna groused.

Diana chuckled, pausing to take a drink of her iced mocha. “What did you expect, Zee? A marriage proposal?”

“No, but that would’ve been nice,” she grumbled. “I’ve never seen two people more meant for each other than you two.”

“I appreciate you campaigning for our relationship, but I don’t know if this will ever go anywhere between us. You two are so head over heels for each other, but neither of you are doing anything about it.”

Zatanna frowned as she studied the Amazon across the table from her, noticing the sadness she was trying to hide. Before she could utter another word, Black Canary set her tray down on the table before taking a chair beside Diana. “Hey, care if I join you two?”

“As long as you can help me find a way to get Diana and Bats together,” Zatanna groused.

Canary glanced at Diana who was blushing, her attention focused solely on her drink. “You’re still not together yet? We seriously need to fix this.”

Diana used her straw to play with what was left of her iced mocha, suddenly wishing she could just crawl out of here with what little of her dignity was still left intact. How in Hera did her love life…or lack thereof…become the hottest topic of discussion on the Watchtower?

“There’s nothing to fix,” Diana insisted. “If Bruce and I decide to pursue this—”

“Oh, please,” Dinah interjected, causing Diana’s head to snap up to look at her friend. “Like he’ll ever take the time out of a case to do anything about something that involved his feelings.”

“There’s nothing to do anything about,” Diana maintained, her voice rising and causing a few other Leaguers to pause to look at them. She sunk in her chair a little, lowering her voice. “I’m still not even certain he feels something for me or if it could lead to something more between us.”

Dinah and Zatanna looked at each other before bursting into laughter. “You’re kidding right, Di?” Zee asked, stealing some French fries from Dinah’s plate.

“That man is so completely in love with you,” Dinah agreed, picking up her hamburger.

Diana grew irritated, not appreciating the fact that everyone seemed to think they knew what Bruce felt about her. Sometimes she thought she knew what he felt only for another wall to be thrown up in her face or an icy shoulder turned to her.

“Look, regardless of what everyone thinks he feels I’m not going to push him into a relationship. He obviously doesn’t want to be with me right now,” she stated.

Zatanna’s eyes grew wide in disbelief as she stared at Diana. “Do you even realize how badly Bruce wants you?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” Diana snapped as she glared at the magician, wishing they would just change the subject.

“Diana, he’s letting you help him work a case with him,” Zatanna explained.

“I don’t know if I would say let so much as I refused to be left out of it,” Diana clarified.

“Whoa…wait a minute,” Dinah interjected. “He’s letting you help him on a case? He didn’t ask you for help?”

“No,” Diana replied, pulling a raven curl behind her ear just as she noticed a certain Gotham vigilante entering the commissary. Their eyes immediately met in that moment. He gave her a curt nod as he walked past their table, the coffee station his ultimate destination. “I uh…I basically told him that I was helping him. He put up some resistance at first, but he’s been fine since I told him how it was going to be.”

“Wow…just…wow,” Dinah gasped, stunned by the revelation. “Diana, that’s just huge. He really does have it bad for you. He never just lets anyone help him on one of his cases.”

“Sorry, Di,” Zee said with a grin. “Mister Sensitivity has the hots for you and you…”

Diana bit at her bottom lip, failing to notice the fact Batman was watching her out of the corner of his eye as he grabbed his cup of coffee. She fiddled with her napkin, not making any eye contact with her friends. She couldn’t help wondering if Bruce knew they were talking about him.

“You’re in love too,” Dinah finished for Zee. “I thought it was just a steamy attraction between you two, but it’s a whole lot more than that. This is serious. You’re in love with each other, but you’re afraid to admit it.”

“I can’t be,” Diana muttered with a groan. “My mother and sisters would disown me if they knew.”

“I hate to tell you but they already have,” Zatanna pointed out with a frown.

“I know, but I…” Diana began, her voice trailing off. She leaned forward to place her elbows on top the table, holding her head in her hands. “What am I going to do? I’m in love with a man who won’t even admit he has feelings let alone make any sort of a commitment. He won’t even talk about the kiss.”

“Back the freaking freight train up,” Zee nearly cried. “What kiss?”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Dinah decided as she munched on her French fries. “You two are more messed up than me and Ollie.”

Green Arrow and John walked by their table at that moment, Arrow giving Dinah a charming smile as they made their way to the trays. After getting their food, they sat down at a table across the commissary with Batman who seemed none too pleased with the company.

Diana lifted her head from her hands, her expression sheepish. “It was in the cave the other day. We were talking and it just sort of happened.”

“A kiss doesn’t just sort of happen,” Zee countered, unsatisfied with the lack of details. “Something had to have led up to it. Did he kiss you or did you kiss him? Was it short and sweet or very passionate?”

Diana averted her eyes, her gaze settling on the man who was the subject of discussion at that moment. “Well…”

“Oh yah…it was hot and heavy,” Dinah decided when the Amazon failed to finish her sentence.

Shayera passed by with her dinner tray in hand, looking for an empty table, but finding none. Dinah waved her over much to Diana’s dismay. “Hey, Shayera,” Canary called to her. “Come join us.”

Noticing the deepening frown on Diana’s face, Zatanna kicked her under the table. Dinah jumped with a curse as she leaned down to rub her shin. “What was that for?”

“Sorry, I meant to kick Diana,” Zee murmured.

Diana glared at the magician, muttering something in Greek under her breath as Shayera looked at each heroine in turn. Diana’s disdain was more than evident, but the other two seemed genuine. “Are you sure?” the Thanagarian asked.

“Yes, we’re sure,” Zee insisted. “Sit down and join us.”

Shayera sat down next to Zatanna, casting a wary glance at Diana. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re just in time to help us try to get Bats and Diana together,” Zee informed her.

Shayera glanced at Diana over the rim of her glass as she took a drink, her eyebrows knitting together. “You two still aren’t knocking boots yet?”

Diana groaned as she sank back in her chair, her fingers tunneling through her thick raven hair before wrapping around the curly strands and gripping it tightly. Her dislike of Shayera was mostly forgotten in the wake of the humiliation that now surrounded her.

“Can we please find something far more interesting to talk about?”

All three women said “no” at the same time before bursting into laughter and quickly catching the attention of the three men sitting at the table across the room from them. “You know they’re talking about us, right?” GL said as he glanced at the four women who looked anything but innocent. In fact, he thought they looked rather conspiratorial if anyone were to ask him and that never equated with anything good for the male species.

“That is never a good thing,” Oliver agreed with a groan, wishing Dinah wasn’t over there with them.

“What’s going on?” Superman asked as he sat down at the table with them. He instantly noticed the rather grim expressions on the three other men.

“They’re talking about us,” Ollie replied, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he studied Dinah. He suddenly noticed the faint blush on the Amazon’s face, relief abruptly washing over him as a grin formed on his bearded face. “I take that back. They’re talking about Bats here. Sorry, ol’ boy.”

Batman sneered as he leveled a deadly Batglare at Arrow’s hand resting on his shoulder. The archer removed it quickly as if he’d been burned, but his jovial expression didn’t falter in the least. He was just beyond relieved it didn’t have anything to do with him.

“Why would they be discussing you?” Superman asked.

“I have no idea,” Batman flat out lied, his grip tightening on his cup of coffee.

“Yah, right,” Ollie quipped with a chuckle. “Like we believe that. The whole Watchtower knows that you and the sexy Amazon have something going on and, if you don’t, they are at least a dozen bets on the ‘Tower about when you will.”

“There is nothing going on between me and Diana,” Batman ground out.

“Not according to them,” Clark revealed as he nodded at the table of women.

Panic swept through the Dark Knight as he gritted his teeth. “What is Diana telling them?” he demanded to know.

“It’s not Diana talking,” Clark replied before taking a bit of his spaghetti. “It’s the other three pushing her to pursue you. They think Diana should…um, I really can’t repeat what they want her to do to you or…better yet with you whether you’re a willing participant or not.”

Bruce growled low in his throat as the tips of Clark’s ears turned bright red in embarrassment, Ollie sitting back in his chair in a fit of laughter. John released a relieved sigh, rubbing his forehead. “Thank goodness they’re not conspiring against me. I have enough problems as it is.”

“What? Being in love with two women at the same time?” Ollie asked.

“I am not…” John defiantly began only to shrink into his chair in reluctant acceptance as the other three men stared at him. “Okay, so maybe I am. Can you blame me?”

“There are worse things in life,” Ollie told him.

“Like what?” John asked with a curious frown.

“Being in love with a goddess that every male in the world wants but you’re too stubborn to actually do something about it,” Ollie said, all three men turning their attention to Batman.

“I am not in love,” Batman groundout with a threatening scowl. “Even if I was, I certainly wouldn’t discuss it with you three jokers.”

Bruce was thankful for his cowl which very conveniently concealed the fact that he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off Diana since entering the commissary. He’d had a difficult time not thinking about her since the Wayne Appreciation Banquet, unable to forget how she’d made him feel…the way their eyes had connected. He swore that he’d been able to touch her soul in that moment. 

She’d already been a lingering presence in his mind before this whole business with her possible death, but, since Saturday night, he found himself unable to stop thinking about her. It only added to the mounting conflict that dwelt inside of him when it came to her.

“I’m offended, Bats,” Ollie replied, cutting through Bruce’s thoughts. “We’re your friends. We’d do anything to help you get Diana.”

“I don’t need any help,” he growled. “I’ve got work to do.”

Batman stood to his feet with coffee in hand, refusing to be subjected to this nonsense any longer. “Way to go,” Superman muttered.

“What?” Ollie asked, looking at the other two. “I was only trying to help.”

“You can’t push him,” John informed him, “and you certainly can’t offer any help.”

“He’ll shut down and shut you out,” Clark agreed.

“I know, but I was hoping with the three of us helping he would change his mind.”

“In a normal world…maybe, but nothing is normal when it comes to Bats,” John said, glancing at Shayera and noticing the way her smile seemed to light up her whole face, her lilting laughter like beautiful music.

He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until that exact moment. He just had to decide what he was going to do about it now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're definitely getting more information about our elusive thief and we're that much closer to getting to England. Now, if we can just get a certain superhero couple together! Much more coming up, gang! 
> 
> Update: The murder sequel fic, What Lies Beneath, is really coming along. Half done with Chp 13. As soon as Thief is all written, I'll start Family Ties and Deadly Intentions.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Your reviews keep me writing and totally make my day! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_**London, England; October 5th, 19:15 UTC+1** _

Annaliesa slowly climbed the stairs, pausing to dab at her eyes with her handkerchief. It had been a very long couple of days to say the least. She didn’t know how much more her weary heart could take, but she knew that she needed to harden her resolve and push on despite this latest setback.

Alex was definitely not handling things well though he did his best to try and hide it. She’d known him since he and Ava had been born, knew his every mood and every single telltale sign that he never realized that he gave away. She knew his dark brooding moods and his melancholy, been through highs and lows and everything in between. Now, would be no different.

She was basically all that he had left save for Christopher. While she was certain that the others would there in a heartbeat for him, she wasn’t certain that Alex would allow it. He’d built up so many walls around his heart over the years that she didn’t think anyone would be able to get past them.

Annaliesa found the object of her worry standing in his study, his back to her as he stared out over the grounds. Rain fell heavily, streaming down the window panes before disappearing out of view. Lightning flashed across the sky, momentarily brightening the dark room as thunder continued to clamor. 

His hands were clasped behind his back; his shoulders slumped slightly with the apparent weight of the world that no doubt rested on them. She knew from his posture that he wasn’t handling things very well. She wasn’t surprised, but it didn’t help the ache growing in her chest nonetheless.

“Master Alex,” she gently ventured, tucking her own emotions away for the moment. She knew that he needed her to be strong right now for the both of them. She always had and now would be no different.

He didn’t answer her for several long moments as thunder rolled and lightning created a frightening streak that seemed to strike a little too close for comfort. She was beginning to think that he wouldn’t respond. With head lowered, she released a heartrending sigh as she turned to leave only to stop with the sound of his voice laden with anguish. 

“I’m all right, Annaliesa” he answered her, knowing it was what was weighing so heavily on her mind at that moment. She was his own personal mother hen and he loved her for it.

“Ye know ye ain’t,” she said with a mild scoffing tone as she took a step closer. “No one could be after what ye have been through these last couple of days.”

“It’s finally over and she’s at peace,” he stoically replied, his voice now devoid of any emotion as he steeled himself against the pain. “It’s the way it should be…the way it should have been all along, but I’d been far too stubborn to allow it...to let her go.”

“Ye don’t mean that,” she replied with a frown.

“Ava wasn’t supposed to live after the accident,” he stated. “We all knew it. It was a miracle that she’d lived as long as she did. Doctors kept telling me to let her go over the years, but I never could. Now, she’s with mother and father and I’m here alone.”

Annaliesa crossed herself, touching her forehead and chest before touching her left then right shoulder. She sent up a silent prayer at the mention of his deceased parents, wishing they were alive to help bring him a small measure of comfort. She could only do so much, but she’d most assuredly do all that she could do for him. She always had.

“Ye really need to eat something, Master Alex,” she said. “Ye haven’t eaten a morsel in two days.”

“I’m not hungry,” he told her.

“Ye know that Ava would not be very happy with ye for not eating on her account,” she pointed out. “In fact, we both know that she’d have an awful lot to say about it.”

“She’s not here anymore is she, Annaliesa?” he stated, bitterness seeping like acid into his every word. “She left me.”

Annaliesa’s eyes fell closed, her head lowering as she crossed herself once more. “Ye know that last fever took the fight right out of her,” she reminded him. “She didn’t have anything left to fight this one with. Her body was too weak and frail.”

“I told her she wasn’t allowed to leave me,” he snapped. “She…she left me anyway and now…”

Alex knew he was being irrational and contrary, but he couldn’t help it…didn’t want to. He wanted to bash something in with his bare hands, to scream and fight and kick until he had no more strength left in his body and no more anger and bitterness left in his soul. He was bone weary, his heart tattered beyond repair.

Unfolding his arms, he let them hang at his sides, his fingers curling into tight fists as the wind howled wildly outside. He felt the press of his fingernails digging deep into his palms, but he didn’t care. The sting was a subtle distraction from the piercing pain in what was left of his heart at that moment. Honestly, how much could one person begin to suffer in a lifetime?

Annaliesa chuckled softly, not mockingly but with a fond note to it as she thought back on fonder times in the Bristow household. “Ye know as well as anyone that Ava was just as obstinate as ye can be,” she reminded him. “Gave yer mum and dad fits with how stubborn ye two could be. It’s wonder they didn’t have nervous breakdowns.”

Alex couldn’t stop the slight curl at the corner of his mouth, remembering all too well the fierce battle of wills that he and Ava engaged in with their parents at times. It was a wonder his mother and father didn’t ship them both off to a boarding school to let them deal with them. Instead, their parents had loved them fiercely, doting on them endlessly and raising them with great patience. They were the best parents a child could have ever asked for.

Despite how well he and his twin sister got on together even they sometimes ended up tangling, each of them refusing to back down. She was his kindred spirit in every way and now she was gone, never to return. He’d never felt more alone in his entire life than he did at this moment. Even though bedridden and locked inside her mind, he would go to the converted ballroom and talk endlessly to her about his travels, spending hours with her reading her classics or just listening to music.

“I miss her…so very much,” he choked out the words that almost lodged in his throat, blinking back the tears that were building despite his best efforts. “How will I ever be able to breathe again?”

The feel of a hand against his back brought the tears to the surface. “You will find a way, Master Alex,” she reassured him. “You have the inner strength of yer father, the fierce stubbornness of yer mother, and the undying adoration of yer sister. They will help ye rebuild yer life.”

Alex nodded his head, unable to face her. “The Vanover estate will be my last,” he announced. “I’m retiring after this coming weekend is over.”

Annaliesa breathed a sigh of relief. “Ye have no idea how happy that makes me,” she softly replied, dabbing at the renewed wash of tears that had sprung forth. “What will ye do then?”

“I’m not certain,” he admitted. “The museum has been begging me to take over my father’s job for years now. They’ve never been able to find anyone to adequately fill his shoes since he died.”

“Yer father would be so very pleased and proud if ye did that,” she confirmed, rubbing his back.

“I’m sure my mother would be more than pleased if I gave up my thieving ways,” he agreed with a faint smile, imagining the brutal tirade he would have been on the receiving end for if she had been alive. 

“Aye…that she would,” Annaliesa agreed, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time despite the recent loss of another Bristow. “When should we plan the funeral for? Would ye prefer to wait until ye return from Cambridge?”

Alex grew rigid with the reminder, his heart shattering all over again. He could not…would not…go through another funeral. He wouldn’t survive it. Not her. “We’re not,” he firmly stated with resolute determination.

“Beg yer pardon, sir?”

“You heard me,” he snapped. “I’m not having a funeral for Ava. She will be buried with my parents in the family cemetery. This is our pain to bear, Annaliesa, no one else’s. Besides Christopher, it’s not as if my parents’ friends have ever truly been there for us in the last several years.”

“Well, it’s a little difficult with ye gallivanting off on a whim to pick up a piece here and bauble there,” she pointed out, her gaze settling on the darker clouds rolling in. A bigger storm was coming, one that would no doubt rattle the windows in the old manor. “Ye have shied away from any and all social gatherings over recent years. It’s a wonder ye still get any invitations at all anymore.”

“Those thefts were for my parents and Ava…to keep a small piece of them alive,” he retorted. “With Ava gone, I’ve lost the will to continue. I’ll have to find a new adventure to keep them alive for me.”

“Well, I for one am relieved,” she told him. “I’ve been terrified for years ye were going to be bang to rights. No idea what I would’ve done with ye in the gaol. I’d be gutted if that happened. For all we know, it still might happen so ye better be watching yer self this weekend.”

“Even with all the clues I’ve left behind, no one has been able to catch me yet,” he reminded her. “I assure you that I’ll be perfectly fine. I’ll go to the Leo Vanover estate, procure a few more items to bury with Ava, and end my flawless spree completely unscathed.”

“Awfully cocksure, ain’t ye?”

Alex’s thoughts instantly drifted to Wonder Woman. She had been far more beautiful than any picture could ever do her justice. It was more than just physical beauty. Meeting her, he had been exposed to her luminous spirit. For a brief time, she had shared that light with him, leaving him dazzled.

Even now, he couldn’t help wondering if she was truly on to him. Had she found the clues that he’d left behind in his cards? It awakened his curiosity and breathed new excitement into him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. There was always the exhilaration of the hunt that came with every robbery, but now it had taken on a new face…an angle that he hadn’t anticipated.

His criminal activities had taken on a dangerous edge if Wonder Woman was truly on the prowl for him, possibly waiting around the next corner to catch him. It was the timeless game of cat and mouse, adding to it a dangerous air and fascination that he had been craving over the last year.

“Are ye sure I can’t get ye something to eat?” she asked, cutting into his brooding thoughts.

“I’m going down to my work room,” he informed her. “You can bring me a plate down there. I have much work to do before I leave on Thursday for Cambridge. I’ll need to be at my absolute best. This will be my biggest heist yet.”

Annaliesa sent up a silent prayer to the good Lord as she left his study, more than thankful that he was finally going to give up this stealing ways after all these years. Thunder cracked loudly, nearly shaking the entire manor as she headed downstairs to make him something to eat. She just prayed that he truly escaped trouble this weekend.

The dreadful feeling in her gut told her otherwise.

_**Wayne Enterprises; October 5th, 14:38 EST** _

Bruce sat back in his chair at the head of the conference room table, his ankle resting on his opposing knee. His right elbow rested on the arm rest of his chair, his forefinger absentmindedly rubbing his bottom lip and attempting to focus on the reports in his lap as Zach Evans spoke.

He tried his best to listen as the meeting continued to wear on, but it was proving more than difficult no thanks to a certain Amazon who was determined to keep a firm grip on his attention. She’d never been far from his thoughts before all of this began, but now it was next to impossible to escape her.

He was no closer to figuring out how to keep her alive without completely surrendering his heart. It was foolish for him to believe that she hadn’t already managed to work her way inside of it and taking possession of it. Now, it was just a matter of keeping a tight hold on it before she completely stole it altogether.

There had to be more to this that his elder self hadn’t revealed to him, something that had happened that had the old man so adamant that he tell Diana how he felt about her. It made his gut lurch with fear of what that something could possibly be. Wasn’t it bad enough that she was going to die without having to deal with some other catastrophe that was waiting for them?

“Wouldn’t you agree, Bruce?”

“Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea, Nolan,” he responded, thankfully having heard just enough of the discussion prior to the question.

Mr. Davidson nodded in concurrence. “I think we should go ahead as soon as possible if everyone agrees.”

“Let’s do it,” Bruce said, reaching for his cup of coffee.

“Now, onto the next item of business…” Nolan continued.

Bruce’s thoughts immediately turned to this coming weekend. It did little to settle his simmering anxiety in the least. The upside was the fact that Diana was going to be with him for four days and would be safe from whatever was going to take her away from him. The downside was that Diana was going to be with him for four days…and four nights.

They would have to keep up pretenses of being a couple which was far too simple a part to play and that scared him to no end. It was always so very easy with her, being with her…holding her, wanting to kiss her at any given moment of the day. He needed to constantly remind himself that this was nothing but a mission, an undercover investigation to capture a thief. He needed to maintain professionalism in its highest extreme, not allowing the lines between professional and personal to become distorted.

Unfortunately, those lines were not just blurred, but they were disappearing altogether, making it more than difficult to keep his heart and desire in check. What was even worse was the fact that they would be sharing a room together at the Vanover estate. It was going to take an immense amount of restraint and many cold showers to survive this four day weekend.

Diana made him feel alive and whole when he was in her presence, giving him so much more than he could begin to imagine. All he had to offer her in return was devastation and death, a battered, scarred up heart and a past littered with unbelievable pain. What could he possibly give to a goddess?

He silently cursed himself, wondering what he’d been thinking by letting Diana in on this case. It was becoming next to impossible to keep the heat that she stirred within him at bay, his emotions continually slipping through when he least expected it.

So many feelings had escaped the night of the Wayne banquet. He was still reeling from the immense connection they had unexpectedly shared that night as he had given his speech. It had been a mystical encounter that he’d never experienced before, one that had rattled him to his very core and opened his eyes to what things could actually be like if he were to let her in.

However, the nightmares that had greeted him after patrol that night had reminded him why he couldn’t be with her, why he was destined to live his life in solitude. His only companion in life could be his mission, carrying with him the loneliness that always lingered within him in the secret places of his soul that he never talked about.

_“Once she dies in your arms maybe you’ll finally understand what I’ve been trying to tell you…or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_

A shiver of fear shot like lightning up his spine, causing him to rub his forehead in a futile effort to ward off the dull headache that continued to torment him. The fear that he carried for her nearly made him break out in a cold sweat just like his nightmares had been doing lately.

_“Don’t be a fool like I was…I was too stubborn and too blind to tell her…too scared to let her in and now I’m paying the price for my stupidity.”_

_“We’re both a coward and you know it…you know why. It’s time to change your future and mine…it’s time to allow yourself some happiness for once in your life before it’s too late.”_

_“Don’t delude yourself any longer. Andrea...Talia…Selina…none of them or any of the others could ever come close to what we feel for our princess. None of them can hold a candle to her. Save her and yourself before it’s too late.”_

There was a part of him that wholly agreed with his elder self. It continually screamed at him to let himself be loved and to fully love her in return. What was worse was the fact that that voice was growing louder and more insistent with every passing day, growing more difficult to ignore.

He was just so tired of fighting his desire for her. He so desperately want to just give in to what he wanted, to be so utterly selfish and let her into his life and into his bed, but being selfish could cost him her life and that wasn’t something that he could begin to accept.

Just the thought of her dying nearly sent him into a panic. How would he ever learn to accept the reality of it let alone survive it?

Her funeral—the procession of mourners both friends as well as the general public, the countless memorials, the burial on Themyscira where no man was ever allowed to set foot. He wouldn’t even be granted rights to visit her grave, Hippolyta refusing to even let her teammates on the sacred island.

His heart clenched beneath his breastbone, a painful lump sticking in his throat. He was terrified to think about what sort of a heartless animal that Batman would degenerate into if he lost her. He had a strong moral compass, but Diana had taught him even more about humanity and the depths of true compassion. He was afraid he’d lose every bit of it if he lost her, the monster inside of the man coming to life once and for all.

He’d be lost forever to the dark void that occupied his soul, threatening to consume him if he was ever pushed too far. Everyone that got too close to him wound up being hurt or worse. Diana would end up being no different despite the fact that she was Wonder Woman.

Bruce looked up to see if anyone had noticed his struggle only to find that everyone seemed to be completely focused on the new proposal being presented to them. He drew a deep, calming breath in an effort to focus himself and regain control.

He needed to stop thinking about Diana and get his head in the game. It was next to impossible knowing that she could be out on a mission right now getting herself killed. No, she was strong and intelligent, a highly skilled warrior who could take care of herself.

But she wasn’t indestructible like Clark.

It was always that minute percentage…the outlier, the what-ifs and unknown variables that gave him nightmares sometimes if he allowed himself to think about it for too long. He could never be one hundred percent sure that she would always be safe. It still didn’t completely explain his overwhelming need to always protect her and watch out for her.

“I think we pursue this project,” Nolan suggested.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lucius chimed in.

“Let’s get a model built first and then move forward from there,” Bruce decided. “We can review it at the next meeting.”

“I’ll get working on the model,” Zach Evans announced. “I’ll have it and the schematics ready for the next time we meet.”

“Great,” Bruce said as he began to gather all of his files. “If there’s nothing else, gentlemen, I believe we’re done for today.”

He was more than ready to get out of here as soon as he could. There were still several things that he needed to take care of before leaving for England in the morning. He needed to make sure Gotham was cleaned up for the most part before leaving.

Despite knowing that he was leaving his beloved city in very capable hands, it still wasn’t him who would be watching over it for the next few nights. That always left him with a lingering sense of uneasiness and dread that he could never shake no matter how hard he tried.

Everyone began to leave, pausing to talk to each other as they gathered their things to return to their various departments. Bruce stood to his feet as well, wanting to talk to Lucius before he left for the day. “Lucius, I need to let you know that I’m going out of town for a few days,” Bruce said as his friend approached him.

“Where are you headed this time?” he asked, unsurprised by the news. Bruce Wayne was almost always tied up doing something.

“Cambridge, England,” Bruce revealed as the pair walked out of the conference room together. “There is an estate going up for auction. I’m hoping to obtain some rare artifacts for the Gotham Museum.”

“Sounds interesting,” Lucius replied with a nod, a smile spreading across his face. “Taking anyone special with you that I might know?”

Bruce smirked as they headed towards his office. “Actually, yes,” he informed him. “Diana is coming with me. She’s an authority on Greek artifacts. Her expertise will be most beneficial.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s the only reason you’re taking her along with you,” Lucius said with a knowing expression adorning his face.

Bruce could feel a surge of warmth coursing through him with the insinuation. What he was insinuating was furthest from the truth much to Bruce’s disappointment despite his fears. “I promise you I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

“Oh, I have no worries about that, Bruce,” Lucius told him, patting him on the back. “I think Diana is an amazing woman. It’s obvious that the two of you are quite smitten with each other. Tanya already thinks that Diana is the one who will finally make the famous billionaire playboy give up his bachelor status.”

Chuckling in response to the unexpected revelation, Bruce set his stack of files down on his desk, turning to face his close friend. “I don’t know about that,” he replied, an unexpected wave of apprehension surging through him. Had he and Diana played their parts a little too well the other night or had feelings that he’d tried so hard to suppress for far too long managed to escape?

“It was more than evident at the banquet that she’s definitely someone very special to you,” Lucius sincerely said, his expression growing serious. “I hope that you don’t give up on this relationship with Diana any time soon, Bruce. She’s seems to be very good for you. I don’t think I’ve seen you smile that much or laugh that hard in a very long time. Just please think about it.”

“I will,” Bruce softly responded, a warm tingle unexpectedly occupying his stomach as he thought about that night. He hadn’t had such an enjoyable time with a woman like that in more years than he could begin to remember.

“Have a good trip,” he told him. “We’ll see you when you get back.”

“Thank you, Lucius,” Bruce murmured as he sat down, wondering what he had gotten himself into this weekend.

_**Watchtower; October 5th, 16:16 EST** _

Diana placed her hands on her hips as she stared into her closet. She slowly raked her teeth over her bottom lip, lost to her thoughts about the upcoming trip she was about to take. It was definitely going to be an adventurous mission they were about to embark on, one that would hopefully lead to the capture of their ever elusive thief.

She couldn’t help wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into by insisting that she work this case with Bruce. It had been quite fascinating to watch him work, to see the methodical way in which he investigated a case. It had been very eye-opening and had caused her respect for him to only grow by tenfold.

She had found a new level of understanding when it came to the enigmatic vigilante known as Batman, watching firsthand how his mind worked. While he still remained a mystery in many areas, some things about him were finally beginning to make sense. 

Many of the cases such as this one required someone of great intelligence and diligence, patience beyond measure. They required great logic and a systematic approach in order to solve them. She had no doubt that the cases in Gotham required this method even more.

Bruce was truly a remarkable man, possessing great restraint and patience that he’d no doubt learned during his travels overseas. She understood now why he worked the way that he did, why the way that he approached things was so very necessary. Only someone with his discipline could possibly be Gotham’s great protector.

Releasing a huff of annoyance under her breath, Diana couldn’t help wondering what more lay hidden beneath the multiple layers that made up the enigma known as Bruce Wayne. It was like peeling an onion, pulling back a layer only to find even more beneath. It was more than frustrating but, at the same time, it was also fascinating. Hopefully with time, he’d eventually let her get to his heart…the very heart that he kept so well hidden. Unfortunately, she didn’t think he’d ever let her get close to his heart.

Diana’s eyes fell closed as she thought about what Zatanna and Dinah had told her about Bruce. She wanted more than anything to believe that they were right about him and how he felt about her, but she feared that holding out hope was nothing more than a foolish endeavor that would never lead to anything but a broken heart and a friendship broken beyond repair.

She silently chided herself for being so ridiculous about all of this. She sounded like an infatuated schoolgirl. She refused to sit around yearning for a man who may or may not feel something for her and who was obviously unwilling or unable to even open himself up to the notion of love.

Right now, she needed to focus on packing for their trip to England and catching this thief before they lost anymore antiquities or jewelry. The problem was she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss they had shared in the cave the other night. It had been heated with a desire that seemed to burn straight through her.

She knew there was a shared attraction at the very least, but how deep those feelings actually ran for Bruce still remained to be discovered despite what Zee and Dinah thought. While a part of her was anxious to pursue this and see where things could lead with him, she was equally fearful of what could happen should it all fall apart.

An unexpected knock at her door captured Diana’s attention, forcing her to abandon her task of packing. “Come in,” she called.

“What’s up, Di?”

“What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised to see her sister. “I thought you had a photo shoot in New York today.”

“I did, but it got cancelled,” she replied. “Thunderstorms.”

“Well, you’re just in time to help me pack.”

“Heading for England already?”

Diana nodded her head as she faced her closet, her hands finding her hips. “Yes,” she confirmed as she reached for a dress. “I’m spending the night at the manor tonight since we have to leave so early in the morning.”

“Oh…really?”

Donna did her best to hide her smirk, but failed miserably as Diana turned at that moment to lay the dress on her bed with her other things. “What?” Diana asked with a frown.

“Oh, nothing,” Donna casually said as she sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows. “Just surprised is all.”

“With what?”

“Was it your decision to stay at the manor or Bruce’s?”

“Bruce’s,” Diana claimed. “He thought it would be easier that way.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Donna quipped with a playful smirk.

Diana glared at her sister, unamused by her insinuation. “I’m staying in a guest bedroom for your information,” she curtly informed her. “You’re reading far too much into this, Donna.”

“And you’re in denial,” her sister shot back.

“I am not in denial,” Diana insisted with a scowl. “Just because I have feelings for him doesn’t mean that he feels the same way about me despite what everyone seems to think.”

“Wait a minute,” Donna said sitting up straighter on the bed. “What do you mean everyone?”

Diana plopped down on the edge of her bed with a heavy sigh, bending her right leg up. “Zatanna, Dinah, and Shayera,” she revealed, clearly none too happy with her friends prying into her life.

“You and Shay are talking?” she questioned her in shock. “Hera, it’s about time.”

“We’re not actually talking so much as tolerating each other’s presence,” Diana informed her with a frown. “Dinah invited her over to sit at our table.”

“Di, Shayera thought that she was doing what was best for her planet,” Donna pointed out. “Besides, she came through for us in the end and helped save the world.”

Diana lowered her chin onto her best up knee, her expression losing a small measure of her irritation. “I know that, Donna, but she was our friend and she turned her back on us. She was like my sister…the only sister I had after I was exiled from home. She betrayed that…betrayed me and the world. It’s not something that I can so easily forgive.”

“I understand that, but you need to at least try. Shayera is really trying to make amends,” Donna told her. “So what did the others have to say about Bruce?”

“They all think that he has feelings for me, but—”

“But nothing,” she interrupted her. “Why are you denying it’s a possibility?”

Diana thoughtfully frowned with the question, her focus on her bedspread instead of her sister. She hated these bewildering emotions that plagued her. It made her feel like she was being foolish. She didn’t like the vulnerability that it brought with it. Things had been so much simpler when she’d been able to just ignore her feelings for Bruce and pretend that she felt nothing for him more than friendship.

Donna reached over and took her sister’s hand in hers. “I understand you’re afraid of getting hurt, Diana, but you shouldn’t be,” she told her. “Bruce really does care about you. He just doesn’t know how to handle it or how to show it.”

Diana pursed her lips, the corners curling down. “I’m not afraid, Donna.”

“You do remember who you’re talking to…right?” Donna challenged her. “I have a piece of your soul. I know what you’re feeling and to be honest I’ve felt the same way with Dick.”

“Really?” Diana asked, surprised. “You two are so perfect together. What were you afraid of?”

Donna shrugged her shoulders as she released Diana’s hand. “Well, like you I didn’t want to get hurt if things fell apart,” she explained. “I mean Dick and I are best friends. If this ended up not working out, I was in danger of losing not only my love but my best friend. Working together on missions would be next to impossible.”

“I know,” Diana admitted. “I’m not sure the risk is really worth it.”

“Let me tell you it is most definitely worth the risk,” Donna reassured her with a grin as she thought about Dick. “It has been so wonderful being with Dick in every way now. I have to admit that I still get scared it’s all going to blow up some day, but I’ve decided to just enjoy what we have and not worry about something that might never happen.”

“Bruce barely talks to me now and never about his feelings,” Diana replied. “He keeps me at arms’ length as it is, putting up walls to keep anyone from getting close to him. If we had a relationship and it fell apart, he’d completely shut me out of his life and I would lose him forever, Donna. I don’t know if I could handle not being a part of his life in some small way.”

“Or it could be utterly amazing in every way imaginable,” Donna pointed out. “Only you can decide if Bruce is worth the effort of loving.”

Diana silently nodded in agreement, not really wanting to talk about it anymore. One way or another, she was going to have to decide what she was going to do with her heart. The problem was that it already belonged to Bruce.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**_Cambridge, England; October 6th, 14:06 GMT+1_ **

Bruce glanced out the window of his private jet, relieved that they would finally be landing soon in England. He turned his attention back to the files in his lap that he’d been studying…or attempting to at least. It was more than difficult focusing on business proposals from the Research and Development Department with a very beautiful Amazon sitting right next to him.

Could her blue skirt possibly be any shorter or her legs any longer? He silently cursed Alfred for helping her pick out her clothes for this trip. That had turned out to be his biggest mistake next to letting her come along on this undercover mission with him.

Her long, toned legs were crossed at the knee, her high-heeled foot lightly brushing against his pant leg. Her right leg hypnotizingly swung back and forth…a very shapely pendulum that he was aching to run his hands all over. He found himself fantasizing about how it would feel to have those sinfully long limbs wrapped so firmly around his waist as he made love to her.

It haunted his dreams far more often he cared to admit. He wasn’t exactly proud of that fact, but he was a red-blooded male after all and, despite all of his intense training and vaunted self-control, even he had his limits. Diana was definitely pushing against those limits and he doubted that she even realized it.

Diana chose that precise moment to uncross her legs and lean clear over him to peer out the window. “Are we landing already?” she asked, surprised.

Bruce didn’t breathe until she finally settled back into her own seat again, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. She knew damn-well what she did to him and it was driving him crazy. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he frowned, knowing deep down that wasn’t true.

Diana had no idea what she did to him, how she drove him to distraction just by merely existing or with something as simple as a smile. That’s what made her so deadly to him. She was the perfect combination of innocence and sexy bombshell and she didn’t have the slightest clue about it. It only made him want her that much more.

He growled under his breath in frustration, receiving a look from Diana along with a single, arched raven eyebrow. He muttered an excuse me as he got to his feet, tossing his files into the open briefcase on the table in front of him before walking away from her.

He made his way to the bathroom, locking the door. He placed his hands on the edge of the sink, leaning heavily on it for a long moment as his chin fell to his chest. He slowly raised his head to look at the reflection in the mirror, wondering how in the world he had gotten himself into this mess.

He turned the water on, washing his face with cold water before patting it dry. He drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly thought his nose. It was time to put on the infamous façade that he loathed more than anything. He just prayed Diana didn’t end up breaking his jaw before the weekend was over.

Exiting the bathroom, Bruce returned to his seat, noticing the look of concern that passed over Diana’s face. She didn’t say anything as the plane began its descent, turning her attention back to her book as he finished putting his work away in his briefcase.

“Ready to try your hand at undercover work, Princess?” he lightly asked as he sat back in his seat, adjusting his suit jacket before fastening his seatbelt.

“I have to admit it’s definitely different from how I’ve been trained to handle situations, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

“You’re not Wonder Woman right now,” he reminded her. “You’ll have to fight your instincts to react if something should happen while we’re here.”

“So Batman won’t be making an appearance?”

“He won’t be there unless absolutely necessary.”

The corner of Diana’s mouth curled. “So the womanizer Bruce Wayne is going to apprehend our thief?”

Bruce matched her smirk with one of his own. “He may have to be the hero this time around.”

“If I didn’t know you so well, I’d me more than a little concerned about the fact that you talk about yourself in the third person,” she decided as the plane rolled to a stop. “Which is the real you?”

“I guess that’s something that you’ll just have to find out for yourself this weekend,” he teased.

“Oh, I plan on it, Bruce,” she assured him as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I plan on finding out everything about you before this weekend is over. Absolutely everything.”

Bruce swallowed hard as he stood to his feet, the truth of her words shining in her eyes. “I’m not sure you can handle me, Princess,” he murmured with an almost sorrowful look flitting through his eyes.

“I believe you’re going to find that I’m more than you can handle,” she flirted, pausing to bend over to retrieve her purse and bag.

Bruce’s hungry gaze traversed the length of her legs, settling on her sculpted derrière. He felt his heart nearly stutter out of rhythm. Damn her. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. Well, two could play that game and he planned to come out the victor in this little battle of wills.

He came to stop behind her as she straightened up, his breath hot against her ear. “Careful, Princess,” he whispered. “You’re playing a very dangerous game trying to get into my head.”

She visibly shivered, startled by his close proximity. She turned her head slightly, not bothering to step away from him. “I prefer to live dangerously, Mister Wayne,” she softly replied. “I am an Amazon, remember? We like to play rough.”

His breath caught in his throat with her unexpected response. He was most definitely in trouble spending this long weekend with her. He had a feeling that she was going to end up decimating each and every wall that he still had left standing before the weekend was out.

“Well, then…are you ready to start our adventure, Miss Prince?” he asked, moving beside her and offering her his arm.

Diana readily slid her arm in his, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I’m more than ready for whatever awaits us,” she slyly replied, allowing him to lead her off the plane and down the ramp.

A limousine was already there waiting for them, a man dressed in a long black coat and white driving gloves standing there patiently awaiting their arrival. He tipped his hat as they approached, moving to the back of the car.

“Good to see you again, Mister Wayne,” he greeted them with a thick English accent.

“Good to see you too, Willem,” Bruce replied with a broad smile that was so incongruous with what she was accustomed to seeing when it came to him. 

This wasn’t the intimidating Batman that she battled evil with on any given day and it wasn’t the Bruce that she’d been working with in the cave. This was the famous billionaire playboy that he showed the world. She already knew that she didn’t like this side of him one bit, but she was going to have to learn to endure it or this was going to be a very short trip that would end with him in the infirmary for several months.

“Your bags have already been placed in the car for you, sir,” Willem informed him as he opened the back door. “Ma’am, it’s a pleasure to be of service.”

“Thank you, Willem,” she told him with a warm smile before climbing inside.

Bruce climbed in behind her, settling into the seat right next to her. After setting his briefcase on the opposite seat, he unbuttoned his suit jacket as he sat back in his seat. He quickly hit the button that caused the privacy window to rise.

“I hope you’re up for this.”

“I can handle whatever you throw my way,” she reassured him.

“You say that now, but are you going to be able to handle me touching you or kissing you to promote our status as a couple?”

Diana felt her cheeks begin to grow warm as she stared straight ahead, but quickly tamped down on the rising heat. Turning with a confident expression firmly in place, she met his intense, piercing gaze head-on. “I could say the same for you, could I not?”

He stared at her a moment longer than necessary before finally averting his eyes, his jaw clenching. “This is strictly professional, Princess,” he reminded her. “Don’t let the lines get blurred.”

“I believe they became blurred the moment you kissed me in the cave,” she pointed out.

Bruce nearly swallowed his tongue with the reminder of that heated kiss, her forthright response taking him completely by surprise. He thought that he’d effectively avoided discussing that, but he was obviously wrong. “I thought we would leave discussion behind us while we were in England.”

“I believe that was your decision, not mine,” she evenly stated, running her fingers over the hem of her skirt that stopped well above her knees. She couldn’t believe Alfred had talked her into this dress, but she had to admit that it did look good on her. She just hoped that Bruce agreed.

“Diana…” he began with a sigh, his voice trailing off. 

He didn’t even know how to begin to handle this. It’s what he’d been wrestling with for over two months now. That kiss in the cave had only complicated matters, making it that much more difficult for him to determine the best course of action to take with her.

If he had his way, he’d be down on one knee with a ring in his hand, but he couldn’t have what he wanted. All the reasons why he shouldn’t…why he couldn’t…besieged him like a battered ship in a stormy sea. He didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to do this.

“So how do you plan on capturing our thief out of uniform?” she asked, changing the subject.

She’d made it known that she’d decided not to run away from this even if he was choosing to. After talking with Donna yesterday, she’d decided that maybe he was worth the risk. She was tired of having these feelings and not doing something about it. It wasn’t like her to run away from something and now would be no different.

Bruce was relieved with the change in subject, but knew that it wasn’t going to be the last time that it would be brought up. Unfortunately, he still had no idea what he was going to do about it. “Do you honestly think I don’t have a plan?” he asked with a note of surprise in his voice.

“Forgive me for being so insolent as to question the great detective,” she coyly replied, impudence dancing in her eyes.

Bruce bit back a snort of amusement, wondering once again how she had just managed to steal his anxiety and replace it with a sense of ease. “You’re forgiven…this time. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Diana placed her hand over her heart, feigning relief. “I shall never question you again.”

He couldn’t suppress his laughter this time as it freely spilled from his lips like music that Diana couldn’t wait to hear again. “I don’t think that’s possible for you,” he told her.

“Are you telling me I lack self-control?” she retorted.

“I’m not sure you want me to answer that question,” he replied. “I’d hate for us to have our first fight as a couple.”

Diana took his hand in hers, squeezing it firmly. “Well, then I guess you better not push your girlfriend’s buttons, Bruce,” she warned him, feeling him tense with her powerful grip. “You never know when I might lose control and break every bone in your hand.”

Bruce pulled his hand free once she loosened her grip on it, shaking it in an effort to restore feeling to it once more. “Duly noted, Princess,” he grumbled.

“By the way, you better stop calling me ‘Princess’ or you might give me away,” she pointed out. “I didn’t change my hair color for nothing.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, drinking in her appearance. It was so strange to hear her voice coming from that face. While she was still beautiful, she wasn’t Diana…not his Diana with the raven hair and eyes as strikingly blue as the ocean.

“I know how hard this is for you,” he commented with an element of understanding that took Diana by surprise. “Hiding who you are is not easy for you and neither is an undercover mission like this.”

“No, but it’ll be worth it when we catch this thief,” she agreed. _When I finally catch you._

The unspoken thought startled her somewhat. She had never thought of Bruce as prey, she the predator on the hunt for what she wanted. She really shouldn’t be surprised she supposed. She was an Amazon after all, a warrior at heart. She decided that she was going to go after what she wanted and she wanted Bruce.

She glanced out the passenger window, wondering if Bruce would ever address the sexual tension that encompassed them. It was becoming quite suffocating at times, making it difficult to breathe. She swore if they didn’t do something about it soon she was going to go crazy.

Right now, though, they needed to focus on their job. They had a thief to stop, possibly more than one if Lex Luthor or other criminals decided to show up for this estate auction. It was just the type of event that had the scum of the earth crawling out of their hiding holes for.

She couldn’t help wondering what it was that their ever elusive thief was after this time. Leo Vanover had a very wide range of pieces that could tempt the taste of any thief. It was going to be hard to narrow down what their thief might be most interested when the auction pieces ranged from Ming vases and priceless artwork to ancient Greek artifacts and coins.

So far, their thief had stolen everything from diamonds to sapphires, Egyptian artifacts to priceless paintings since he first began his career. While he’d stolen just about anything that tickles his fancy, he still seemed to be obsessed with sapphires for some unknown reason.

There had to be a woman involved, one that was at the center of his obsession. All of the sapphire pieces that he’d stolen were feminine in nature, ranging from rings to necklaces and earrings. The problem was that none of these stolen items were ever reportedly seen out in public being worn by someone or showed up on the black market.

Bruce noticed the pensive expression gracing the princess’s face. He couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking about. He knew he shouldn’t, but he had to ask even if it turned the conversation back to them again. “Penny for your thoughts, Princess.”

Diana turned to look at him, a small frown curling her lips. “Just thinking about our thief.”

“What about him?”

“I think there’s a woman at the heart of all this,” she thoughtfully revealed.

“How so?” he asked, intrigued by her theory.

“I was just thinking back on all of the items that he’s stolen over the years,” she began to explain. “There is a very wide range of items that he steals. There’s nothing off limits, but, when he steals something with sapphires in it, it’s always something designed for a woman.”

“Interesting,” he murmured, wondering how he had missed that fact.

He really hadn’t slept well in the last two months, his mind occupied with how to save Diana’s life, but that was still no excuse for having missed something so obvious. He needed to get his head in the game and stop letting distractions get in the way.

“Do you think our thief has a wife?” she asked.

Bruce shook his head, his lips lining into a grim line as he considered her theory. “I don’t know, but it’s a definite possibility,” he reluctantly conceded. “There’s someone at the heart of all of this for him. Hopefully, we’ll be able to learn more this weekend.”

“I don’t want to just learn more,” Diana groused. “I want him behind bars for a very long time and the stolen items returned.”

“We’ll catch him,” he confidently told her, checking his cell phone messages.

Diana glanced out the passenger window again, her mind wandering. She was anxious to get to the Vanover castle and start investigating everyone. She couldn’t help thinking about sharing a room with Bruce for the next four days. It was going to be interesting to say the least. She wondered how Bruce was going to react to it.

She was going to have to steel herself for the intimate contact they would no doubt have to share; the public displays of affection that they would need to act out to cement their dating status. She felt herself flush with the thought, knowing that aspect of their mission was going to be the hardest.

It was going to be difficult remembering that it was all for show and not genuine feelings being demonstrated. She was going to have to keep a tight rein on her emotions and not let herself give in to the recently recognized feelings she’d tried for so long to ignore.

He had a tendency to make her emotions rise to the surface when she least expected them to, awakening a desire that she had attempted to lock away. Now, she was going to have to bury them deep again in order to capture this thief.

Bruce kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she was thinking so deeply about. Whatever it was had caused a somewhat sad expression to grace her face. It made him worried that he might be the root cause behind it.

He knew he was sending her mixed signals, kissing her passionately in the cave only to dismiss it altogether and refuse to even talk about it. He wished he knew what she was feeling…what she really felt for him. Admittedly, there was the powerful attraction that drew them to each other, but did her feelings really go any deeper than that?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it as the limousine turned down a winding road, Vanover Castle standing tall and proud on a hill. They were finally here. The question, though, was when was their mysterious thief going to be arriving?

Diana ran her fingers through her hair, feeling a sense of apprehension. She knew some of what they were getting into this weekend, but there were still many things that she was going to be forced to navigate through at the drop of a hat.

“Are you ready?” Bruce asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” she replied as Willem opened the back door.

Bruce slid out, turning and offering his hand to Diana. She took it with a smile, exiting the limo. “Thank you, Willem,” Bruce said.

“I’ll have your bags taken up to your room,” William informed him. “Please call whenever you are ready to leave on Monday.”

“I will,” Bruce agreed. “Thank you for the pick up.”

“Always a pleasure, Mister Wayne,” Willem replied with a nod, tipping his hat to Diana. “Ma’am, enjoy your weekend.”

“Thank you, Willem,” she said.

Bruce tightened his hold on her hand as they walked towards the front entrance of the enormous castle that stretched out before them. It was at least a couple of centuries old and larger than Diana had pictured. She was anxious to tour the castle and to spend some time studying the countless artifacts he’d purchased over the years.

Diana suddenly noticed the way Bruce was caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, causing tingles to race up her arm. She wasn’t certain that Bruce even realized he was doing it so she tried not to read too much into the intimate gesture. She sighed to herself. This was going to be a very long weekend.

She pulled her hand free, needing to put a little distance between them. She could only handle so much of him touching her. Bruce gave her a fleeting glance, taken aback by her abrupt action, but was unable to question her about it as the large double doors opened for them.

A stout, older woman with gray hair pulled into a tight bun stepped through the doorway. She was dressed in a black dress covered with a white apron. She smiled broadly at them, clasping her hands before her.

“Welcome to Vanover Castle,” she warmly greeted them. “My name is Grace. It will be our pleasure to host you this weekend.”

Before either Bruce or Diana could respond, a tall, lean looking man came to stand beside her. “Welcome, I’m Callum Mitchell. I’m the overseer of Vanover Castle.”

“I’m Bruce Wayne and this is my girlfriend Diana Prince,” Bruce informed them.

“Ah, yes…Mister Wayne and Miss Prince,” Grace replied, her gray eyes sparkling. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Let me show you to your room. I’m sure you’d like to rest and get freshened up after your long journey.”

“Thank you,” Diana replied. “That would be lovely.”

“Please, follow me,” Grace replied, adjusting her glasses on her narrow nose. “Callum will see to it that your bags are brought up to your room.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said to Callum with an appreciative smile. “Have very many of the other guests arrived yet?”

“Yes,” Grace confirmed as she led the couple inside. “In fact, I believe there are only a handful of guests that we are still awaiting their arrival.”

“Anyone interesting that might be here this weekend?” Bruce ventured, hoping to gain a little information as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Grace chuckled softly as she led them down the long hallway. “Oh my,” she replied, her hand coming to rest against her chest. “There are some familiar names and some I’ve never even heard of. We have quite the collection of guests that’s for sure.”

Diana smirked at Bruce as they came to a stop behind Grace who had paused in front of a door. Bruce frowned at her, wishing they could get more information, but Grace obviously wasn’t giving anything up. “Here we are,” she cheerily announced. “I hope you like your accommodations. The castle underwent quite an extensive renovation so hopefully everything will meet your expectations.”

Following Grace inside, the couple found a very large bedroom, one that contained a small sitting area as well as an en suite. “It’s beautiful,” Diana assured her as she wandered around the room. “This will be perfect.”

“The welcoming party will be held at six,” she revealed. “In the meantime, please feel free to explore the castle and grounds. I will warn you that some parts of the castle are off limits. These areas are marked and are guarded by security. Now, if you need anything…anything at all…please do not hesitate to contact any of my staff.”

“Thank you, Grace,” Bruce replied with a charming smile.

Grace nodded in response, excusing herself and closing the door behind her, leaving the couple all alone. Diana moved to sit on the edge of the king-sized bed, running her hands over the bedspread. She glanced at Bruce to find him scrutinizing every inch of the room.

“Bruce…” she began, only to stop as Bruce held a finger up to his lips.

She watched in curiosity as he pulled a small handheld device from his suit jacket pocket. For the next ten minutes, Bruce scanned the entire room, including the en suite before finally tucking it safely into his pocket again.

“Okay, it’s clear,” he told her.

Diana rolled her eyes as she shook her head. “Did you honestly believe they would bug our room?”

“You can never be too careful, Princess,” he said as he slipped off his suite jacket before draping it over the back of a chair.

A knock at their door interrupted anymore conversation. Bruce opened the door to find Callum with their bags. “Please just set them over there,” Bruce indicated with a nod.

“If you should need anything, please press this button on the intercom,” Callum instructed them as he pointed to the small box on the wall by the door. “Would like any refreshments sent up?”

“No, thank you,” Bruce replied. “I think we’re good for now.”

Callum nodded and left, closing the door. Bruce waited for a few moments before speaking again. “We’re going to have to be on guard at all times no matter what the situation.”

“Why?” she asked, curious as to the root of his paranoia. She knew it was there, but seeing it so up close and personal was a little troublesome to say the least. “You said our room isn’t bugged.”

“This room isn’t, but we know nothing of any of the other rooms throughout the castle,” he pointed out as he dropped into a chair across from Diana. “Grace said it herself that there had been extensive renovations done on the castle. It can’t have all just been done for this weekend.”

“What do you think it was for then?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to see what I can find out.”

“Hera, Bruce,” Diana groused as she leaned back on her outstretched arms, studying him with a narrowed gaze. “Not everything in life is evil in nature. Sometimes there is a very innocent, plausible explanation once you look for it.”

“I know, but things that appear innocent rarely are,” he countered as he loosened his tie a little.

Bruce watched as Diana’s expression grew sad…almost defeated in a way. It caused him to lean forward in his chair, concern tugging at his insides as his forearms came to rest on his knees. Inside, he knew that she was the true exception to that rule. 

She was innocent and pure, untainted despite being here in Man’s World for three years. He hoped more than anything that she stayed that way, never becoming cynical like he was. He didn’t have faith in very much, losing it the day he lost his parents, but she gave him a reason to have faith again. He never wanted to lose that…or her.

“It must be so hard for you, Bruce…everything always so bleak,” she softly said, her eyes shining a little brighter than they had with the sadness that nearly overwhelmed her. “Worried that evil lurks behind every door, everyone you meet a potential suspect…always thinking that the worst is yet to come. I can’t imagine living like that, afraid that something horrible is going to happen at any day or any time.”

Bruce felt as if his heart had just leapt into his throat, painfully lodging there and making it more than difficult to draw a breath. She had no idea that she was going to die soon or that he was trying to think of anything and everything humanly possible that he could do to try to save her life.

“It’s the way that it has to be, Diana,” he told her, looking down at his hands clasped together before him.

“No…it doesn’t,” she gently replied.

“Diana, I lost my faith when I was eight years old,” he explained. “For me to do what I have to do every night, there can be nothing more than absolute distrust and suspicion of everything around me. It’s how I operate.”

“Do you really distrust me?”

The sorrow that swam in her sea blue eyes was more than he could take at that moment. “No…never you,” he reassured her. “You’re one of the very few that I actually trust.”

She released a relieved sigh as she pondered his words. “I wish that I could show you that you can still be Batman and have a little faith and light in your life.”

“I do have faith,” he murmured, averting his gaze.

“Faith in whom?”

Bruce swallowed hard, the words tumbling free before he had a chance to stop them. “I have faith in you.”

Diana felt her heart skip a beat with his words as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Before she could respond, Bruce’s cell phone rang, breaking the intimate moment. He quickly reached for his suit coat, pulling out his phone.

“This is Bruce,” he answered.

Diana’s head fell back as Bruce walked towards the window on the far end of the suite to take his phone call. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Bruce had not only opened up to her, but had admitted that he trusted her…had faith in her. That was huge…monumental.

She didn’t know what to think. She wanted to believe that it meant something…that she meant something to him, but she still feared ruining the closeness that they already shared. It had taken three long years, but she had finally gotten close to him. While she wanted so much more, she wasn’t certain it was something that she should want. Still, she wasn’t going to give up trying. She didn’t want to look back on her life to find it filled with regrets, wishing that she had tried but hadn’t.

“Okay, thanks,” Bruce replied before hanging up.

“Anything important?” she asked.

Bruce turned back to face her, his expression grim. “Maybe,” he absentmindedly replied. “I have Barbara keeping an eye on Luthor. I want to know if he makes any moves before he shows up here. It looks like he might be heading this way.”

“Oh, Hera,” Diana uttered with a huff of annoyance. “One more villain we’re going to need to keep an eye out for.”

“At least he won’t be able to recognize you as Wonder Woman,” Bruce pointed out, his frustration more than evident. “That will help give us a definite edge that could work for our benefit.”

“He doesn’t know you’re Batman, though,” she reminded him.

“I know, but he’ll no doubt try to cause trouble for me,” Bruce replied. “It’s always been a competition for him when it comes to me. He’ll no doubt try to zero in on you to steal you away from me.”

Diana chuckled softly, Bruce’s angry expression somewhat surprising her. She knew that he hated Lex Luthor, but he was worried about something that could never happen. “Bruce, he can’t steal me away. We’re not really together, remember? Besides, I can’t stand the man either. It’s all I can do not to bash his face in with my fist.”

“I know,” Bruce dismissed with a scowl. “I just mean that he will definitely try to hit on you.”

“So what are we going to do?”

“First, we need to scope out the castle,” he replied. “We need to know the layout and where they’re keeping the artifacts and jewels.”

She watched as he retrieved one of his suitcases and placed it on the bed beside her. She didn’t know why she was the least bit surprised when he flipped it open to reveal a suitcase full of surveillance equipment and listening bugs.

“Really?” she asked, cocking a raven eyebrow.

“We are not leaving this weekend without stopping this thief once and for all,” he told her. “Once we know for sure where the items to be auctioned off are being stored, we can place a tiny camera in the area to see if anyone tries to get near it.” 

Diana picked up one of the listening devices, holding it up to look at it. “Are you sure we’re going to be able to get one of these in place without being seen. Grace said there’s a new security system that’s been installed.”

Bruce crossed his arms against his chest, giving her a look that said “really”. “Serious, Princess?”

“Right,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Look who I’m talking to.”

“I’m going to get a shower and change my clothes for dinner,” he told her.

Diana’s lips curled into a smirk as she casually leaned on the bed. “Want me to come join you? I could scrub your back for you.”

Bruce’s breath hitched with her suggestion, recovering quickly enough to muster a comeback. “I don’t think you could handle me, Princess,” he quipped, leaning in close to her as he pulled the listening device from her hand.

Diana gasped softly as he pulled back, smirking at him. “Just getting into my role.”

“Nice try,” he said as he picked up his other suitcase before heading into the bathroom.

He closed and locked the door behind him, wondering why he had even bothered. It wasn’t like the woman couldn’t just break the door down with her fist. Settling the suitcase down, he leaned his back against the door as he released a strangled breath. He couldn’t help wondering how he was going to survive this weekend with her when his resolve was ready beginning to splinter and crack.

It was going to be the longest four days of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAY! We're finally in England! Now, to see how our favorite duo will handle being in close quarters like this? How long before they both give in to what they want? Not quite as long as you might think! :)
> 
> Up next: Bruce & Diana meet a very interesting Englishman by the name of Alex and why is GL in the infirmary?


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**_Toronto, Canada; October 6th, 13:16 EST_ **

John used his ring to project a large wall, blocking the flames that were beginning to shoot higher into the air. “Hurry…I can’t hold this forever!” he shouted.

“I’ve got it!” Flash hollered back, racing towards a nearby lake.

Shayera swooped in at that moment to try to help John. She used her mace to smash the asphalt in order to create a trench in an effort to keep the fire from spreading any further. She’d managed to help evacuate the area. Now, they just needed to keep the fire from reaching the gas lines.

“Is everyone out?” John yelled as Flash arrived with a funnel of water to disperse it on the flames.

“Yes!” Shayera shouted back. “The area is clear.”

“Good!” John yelled. “We’re going to need more water, Flash!”

“On it,” the scarlet speedster responded as he departed in a red blur.

“Shay, can you create more trenches? We need to keep—”

Before John could finish that sentence, a portion of the fire hit a gas line creating a violent explosion that completely rocked the area. The force of the blast threw Green Lantern several hundred yards into the side of a building, tons of bricks and mortar crashing down on top of him.

“John!” Shayera screamed, terrified that her former lover was dead.

Flash arrived with more water as several rescue crews arrived on the scene to help. Shayera flew straight towards where John had last been seen. She quickly began digging through the rubble, finally finding him lying face down on the ground and not moving. She cautiously knelt beside him, reaching out to him with trembling hands.

“Please…no,” she murmured. “Don’t do this to me, John.”

She released a relieved sigh when she found a pulse, but it was weak. He had a nasty gash on his head, his uniform scorched in spots. She knew that she had to get him back to the Watchtower right away, but the situation was far from being under control at that moment.

“GL!” Flash yelled as he raced to her side, his breathing labored as he came to a stop. “Is he…?”

“He’s alive,” she reassured him. “We need to get him back to the Watchtower.”

“Go ahead,” he told her. “I’ll help the rescue crews here.”

“I’ll send more backup,” she replied as she tapped her commlink. “Shayera to Watchtower. Two for emergency transport to the med bay.”

She gently wrapped her arms around him; afraid to draw air for fear that he would die in her arms. That wasn’t something that she could handle. Even after all that had happened between them since meeting, she still loved him deeply, more than she had ever loved another.

Materializing in the med bay, Shayera quickly looked around for help. “J’onn!” she yelled, praying that he was here.

Doctor Morgan came running along with a couple of nurses who helped her carefully lift him onto a nearby medical bed. “J’onn isn’t here right now, but I promise I’ll do everything I can for him.”

“Please…just save him,” Shayera pleaded with him.

Shayera stepped back as the emergency medical team immediately set to work on the Green Lantern, cutting away his uniform so they could tend to his injuries and countless burns. She felt hot tears begin to well in her eyes, causing her to bite at her bottom lip in an attempt to keep them at bay.

She barely noticed her own injuries. There were burns on her arms that she’d sustained from the fiery flying debris caused by the explosion as well as cuts on her hands from furiously digging her ex-lover out from under the rubble. They were the least of her worries right now,though, as she stared at the man who had stolen her heart so long ago.

Not any time spent apart, not the fact that he was with another woman could ever deter her love for him. She had hoped that with time away that her feelings for the former Marine would diminish. Instead, they had somehow managed to grow stronger.

It was hard being around him again, far more difficult than she had dreamed that it would be. She had repeatedly told herself that she could handle being back here, but now she wasn’t so certain anymore. Seeing him like this was breaking her in two, seeing him with Vixen destroying her heart. 

She had no idea how long she stood there watching and waiting as the medical team worked. J’onn finally appeared to see if there was anything he could do, but Doctor Morgan had taken care of his more extensive injuries and was tending to the rest. The Martian Manhunter turned his attention to the Thanagarian.

“Shayera, we should take care of your injuries as well,” he gently said to her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder.

“No, I don’t want to leave him,” she replied, her gaze still locked on John.

“Come; there’s nothing more that can be done right now,” he told her, taking her hand and leading her to another medical bed nearby.

Shayera reluctantly sat down on the bed, her eyes never leaving John’s face. He’d yet to regain consciousness, hadn’t even made a single sound to reassure her that he was fighting to come back to her. She felt numb as she sat there, J’onn cleaning and bandaging her wounds, but there was nothing that could be done for her heart.

The sound of the machine monitoring his heart function was a warm comfort to her in a strange way, telling her that he was still alive and giving her a small spark of hope. She just wanted to sit with him, to hold his hand and tell him how sorry she was for hurting him like she had so many months ago.

She wanted to beg him for another chance, but she knew that she had no right. He was in love with another, a woman that was no longer her. How could she possibly ask him to give up the woman he loves just to give someone like her second chance at love?

J’onn studied her as he finished bandaging the last of her wounds. “Shayera, you should tell him how you feel when he wakes up,” he encouraged her.

Shayera turned incredibly sad eyes on her friend, a smile holding no warmth accompanying it. “I had my chance and I ruined it, J’onn,” she softly said. “I destroyed any chance of a future with him.”

“Not everything is beyond repair,” he reassured her.

“He’s with someone else…someone he obviously loves,” she replied. “He’s happy now. I don’t want to take that away from him. He deserves it more than anyone after what I did to him.”

“You can’t keep blaming yourself for what happened, Shayera,” he said. “You have gone to great lengths to redeem yourself. I don’t believe you need to carry the burden of guilt any longer.”

“Thank you, J’onn,” she murmured, “but it’s all I have now.”

A gentle hand on top of hers forced her to look at him. “No, you don’t,” he countered. “You always have us as well as John. No one completely recovers from a love like the two of you shared.”

Shayera’s bottom lip began to tremble, daring to believe her friend’s words. She wanted him back more than she wanted redemption, but she didn’t dare to hope…did she? She couldn’t stand having her heart broken all over again. It had shattered the day she had walked away from him on that cliff and no one had yet to put it back together again.

Finding the medical staff had finished, she slid off the medical bed and made her way to his bedside. She settled into a nearby chair, tentatively reaching out to touch his hand. “John…it’s going to be all right,” she reassured him. “I’m right here. Just please get better.”

She sat with him for nearly an hour, her eyes never leaving him as she held his hand. Several times the tears had come and each time she had fought them back. She had no right to be here, no right to be shedding tears for him. She had walked away from him months ago, turning her back on him. All she did was bring him pain.

“John!”

Shayera looked up at the sound of his name to find Vixen rushing through the med bay towards them. She quickly relinquished her hold on his hand as Mari approached. “John…no,” she tearfully murmured. “Please, John.”

Shayera stood to her feet, uncertain of what she should do. She didn’t want to leave him, but she didn’t actually have the girlfriend status that Mari possessed now. She was nothing but a teammate at that moment and that hurt her more than words could begin to describe.

Mari seemed to suddenly notice the Thanagarian standing on the other side of John’s bed, her eyes narrowing with fury. “What are you doing here?” she hissed as she took hold of his hand. “You have no right to be here. You’ve caused him enough pain.”

“I brought him here,” Shayera told her, her own anger swelling.

“Well, you can leave now,” Mari spat out. “I’ll take care of him.”

“I just didn’t want him to be all alone,” she stated, folding her arms against her chest. “He’s still my friend.”

Mari laughed derisively. “In your dreams,” she shot back. “Get out, Shayera. He doesn’t want you here.”

A biting retort danced on her tongue as she glared darkly at Vixen, but she swallowed it back. John was all that mattered right now, not some petty feud between his current and his ex-girlfriend. “I’ll come back later to check on him.”

“Don’t bother,” Mari said to Shayera’s back as the Thanagarian slowly walked away.

Shayera’s hands balled into fists, her nostrils flaring with anger. She refused to look back, couldn’t handle seeing Mari there taking care of John. She would keep track of his progress through J’onn, hoping to sneak back in to see him later when Mari was gone.

Mari pulled up a chair, holding John’s hand as she tenderly stroked his bandaged forehead. “I’m right here, John,” she reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Shayera,” John groggily murmured, his voice barely above a whisper yet to Mari it was as if he’d just shouted the woman’s name at the top of his lungs.

Mari stiffened, her anger returning with a vengeance, but she reined it in. “No, John,” she evenly told him. “It’s Mari. I’m right here. You just rest and get better.”

He seemed to settle down with her reassurance, his restlessness subsiding. She told herself he’d only said the Thanagarian’s name because Shayera had just been here a few moments ago, nothing more than that. Deep down, though, she knew she was only fooling herself.

**_Vanover Castle; October 6th, 18:11 GMT+1_ **

Alex surreptitiously studied the room over the lip of his wine glass, surveying the people in attendance for the extended weekend event as well as the layout of the ballroom. He wanted to know this castle inside and out before the heist took place.

It wouldn’t do to make off with millions of dollars worth of antiques and jewels only to get himself concerned by the authorities in the end. He’d done this long enough now that he’d learned more than a few tricks over the years that had aided him in his thievery.

He was anxious to see who was here in attendance, one individual in particular sparking his interest. He smiled and nodded politely at a pretty blond that was making eyes at him from her position at the bar. While she was quite attractive, he wasn’t here for pleasure. This was business. Nothing more.

While he wanted to escape this weekend unscathed, he couldn’t help hoping that Wonder Woman would make an appearance. He knew that was a foolish wish. There was no reason for the Amazon to be here this weekend unless she had found the clue that he’d left behind in Chicago. If she had, then she would most definitely make the trip to England in an attempt to capture him and the cat and mouse game would continue here.

The other object of his interest was Bruce Wayne. Their pasts were quite similar, both suffering great loss as a child, but how they have handled that traumatizing loss had been drastically different. He had turned to a life of crime, believing that he deserved the things that he stole in order to make up for the fact that he was alive and well and his twin sister Ava had been nothing more than a shell in that bed.

Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, had turned to women and booze and partying to deal with his loss. He had somehow managed to be the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, making it a highly successful and lucrative company despite his philandering ways. He had heard, though, that Wayne was highly intelligent and, when he applied himself, highly successful. It was probably the only reason that the company was still doing so well.

Alex was eager to see him, to meet him and get to know him. He was fascinated with how their lives had aligned in some ways and deviated in others. He wondered what it was after their respective, life-altering losses that had paved the way for their futures.

He turned at the abrupt rush of excited murmurings that filled the ballroom like a sudden summer breeze finding its way inside. He spotted Bruce Wayne entering with a statuesque red-head on his arm. He wasn’t certain who was causing the greatest stir at the moment—the infamous playboy Bruce Wayne or the gorgeous beauty beside him.

She looked stunning in an emerald green off the shoulder cocktail dress that only seemed to make her eyes that much greener if it was even possible. In her heels, she stood at a commanding height that equaled Bruce Wayne’s. They were quite the couple to behold, complimenting each other in looks and poise.

He’d known about Wayne’s reputation as a womanizer—wining, dining, and bedding them before quickly moving on to the next supermodel or up-and-coming actress. He couldn’t help wondering how much of those rumors were actually true. The woman with him now appeared far too intelligent and dignified to put up with someone who acted like the rumors about him.

Alex watched them as they navigated the group that had gathered for this unique event concocted in the mind of a recluse like royalty. He found his attention captured by the woman more than the billionaire despite his eagerness to meet famous billionaire.

Her movements were graceful like a gazelle, fluid as if she was floating and familiar to him in a way that he didn’t understand. He’d never seen her before this night. He definitely would’ve remembered her if he had. He had no idea then why she would seem like he’d met her before.

Finished with his glass of wine, he slowly worked his way towards the stunning couple in hopes of talking to them. He had to find out who the woman was and why he felt like he might know her. At the same time, he didn’t want to make himself too rememberable. He wanted to blend in with everyone while he was here before disappearing for good.

Even now, Annaliesa was working hard to make sure he could disappear for good. Everything had been set up long ago—bank accounts, identities, villas, and secret homes. They were all ready and waiting for the appropriate time and that time had come at last.

He made his way closer, noticing how the couple seemed to radiate, their attraction towards one another creating an aura around them that practically glowed. Their feelings for each other were right there—shining in their eyes, evident in the way they looked at each other…the way that he whispered in her ear causing her to laugh or how she nuzzled his cheek with her nose before kissing it.

They seemed to capture the attention of everyone there. It was obvious by the way Bruce held her hand, the way her green eyes sparkled and danced that they were very much in love with each other. Maybe the ever elusive Bruce Wayne had finally found his match and his bachelor days were over.

Alex stood next to a table filled with various desserts, pretending to be interested while the object of his fascination lingered nearby. Bruce whispered something into his girlfriend’s ear again causing her to laugh in response. The sound was like beautiful music as she leaned in with a whispered response that had him grinning from ear to ear.

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it as he stared longingly into her eyes. He could’ve sworn he saw a faint pink hue suffuse her cheeks. She leaned into him, kissing him slowly…sensually. He seemed to relish her attention, drinking it all in as if dying of thirst.

Alex felt a pang of sadness mingled with jealousy. They were truly in love. If Bruce Wayne had managed to capture the heart of this beautiful woman, maybe he too could actually find someone to love…a woman who could possibly love him despite his countless sins and dark past.

The thought seemed to be too good to be true, the hope he felt nothing more than a sham. He shouldn’t get his hopes up about something that would never happen. His life was over. His parents were gone…Ava gone now too. All that he had was the manor and Annaliesa, Christopher and maybe a handful of friends that still cared for him only because of his parents. All of that would soon be gone too.

He’d distanced himself from so many people over the years, people who had tried to care about him, but he had been too afraid to let them in. Women that he could have loved, maybe had to some extent, but he ended up driving them away too. He was too hard to love, too broken and too wrecked inside.

The couple wandered over to the other table laden with appetizers, each filling plates before heading to a small table on the other side of the room. Bruce pulled out her chair for her, scooting it in for her as she sat down. Taking the seat right next to her, they began to eat, chatting softly and enjoying each other’s company.

Alex took a plate with shrimp and a couple of other appetizers before settling into a chair at the table next to them. He feigned interest in his cell phone as he listened to the couple talk. He caught a stray word here and there, but it was difficult to make out what they were actually talking about from where he was sitting.

Glancing to his left, he found himself looking into the piercing green eyes of the woman who had enchanted him from the moment she had entered the room. She smiled warmly at him before taking a sip from her champagne flute. 

Bruce Wayne looked up then to see who she was looking at. “Hello,” he greeted him with a smile. “I’m Bruce Wayne.”

“Hello,” Alex replied. “I’m Alex Bristow. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Wayne and…”

“Diana Prince,” she introduced herself. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. When did you arrive?”

“Earlier this afternoon,” Alex revealed. “How was your trip from America?”

“Long, but we made the most of it,” Bruce replied, turning to give Diana a wolfish grin.

“Ignore him,” Diana said as she pushed at Bruce’s shoulder in mock embarrassment. “Where do you call home?”

“London,” Alex revealed. “Not that long of a trip.”

“Are you here alone?” Diana asked as she began to look around the room for someone who might have been with him.

“Yes,” Alex informed them. “I’m afraid there is no Mrs. Bristow.”

“Is there something here that you’re particularly interested in?” Bruce asked, noticing the way that Alex was looking at Diana. A flash of jealousy flared inside of him, but he tamped down on it.

“Actually, I am,” Alex replied with a smile. “There is some priceless artwork that I’m interested in procuring. And you?”

“I’m looking for some Greek artifacts that I can donate to the Gotham Museum as well as several other pieces for home,” Bruce revealed.

“I’m sure we’ll be running into each other often this weekend,” Alex said as he stood to his feet.

“I’m sure we will,” Diana agreed with a nod.

They watched as Alex left, Diana’s hand finding Bruce’s thigh beneath the table as she tilted her head towards him. She felt him tense beneath her fingers before relaxing once more, his arm moving to wrap around her bare shoulders.

“That’s the man I danced with at the Gotham Museum event,” she whispered, casually caressing his thigh as she watched Alex move about the crowded room. 

Diana felt Bruce grow inexplicably rigid with her words, but was uncertain as to why. He turned his head to brush his nose and lips against her ear in an affectionate way, taking great satisfaction in the way that Diana shivered in response to him…her breath catching, gooseflesh rippling over her skin. 

Unfortunately, it only made it that much harder for him to keep his hands off her, especially knowing how readily she reacted to him. The way she kept responding to him was driving him positively crazy; making it difficult to remember this was all just for show.

“Are you sure it’s him?” he breathily asked against her ear.

“Positive,” she confirmed though she was finding it difficult to think straight with the things that he was doing to her. The lines between charade and reality were not just blurred; they were disappearing at a very rapid rate. “He held me in his arms while we danced, Bruce. I’d remember him anywhere.”

Bruce instantly pulled back as if he’d been slapped, his jaw clenching tightly. She turned to look at him to find an unreadable expression on his face, one that was almost angry. His azure eyes were stormy, the playboy persona all but disappearing.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he murmured with a shake of his head. “Did you get the feeling that he was up to something?”

“No, not at the time, but it is somewhat suspicious that he’s here this weekend,” she decided.

“Tell me again everything that he said to you while you danced with him,” Bruce requested.

“Well,” she began, thinking back to that night. “I asked him what brought him to Gotham and he said he was here on business, but couldn’t miss the unveiling of the newly discovered Egyptian treasures.”

“And?” he pressed.

“He told me he was an antiques dealer,” she replied. “Before I could ask him anything more, we were interrupted by you.”

Bruce frowned, remembering that moment all too well. He had been quite jealous seeing her dancing with that man. Unfortunately, he’d been more consumed with the Amazon princess and not fully focused on the man she had been dancing with. He silently cursed himself for allowing his feelings for her to distract him.

“We need to keep a close eye on him,” Bruce quietly said, his gaze on Alex as he mingled with other guests. “He could be our guy.”

“I also met another man that night…one who could be our thief,” she revealed.

Bruce’s attention snapped back to his date, taken aback by the unexpected revelation. “Who else did you meet?” he questioned her, wondering how he had missed that fact. He’d kept a close eye on her the whole time she’d been there at the museum until he’d been forced to leave to track the thief down.

“When I got to the display, I found a man there by the name of Ewan Hale,” she informed him. “He said that he worked as the curator at London’s British Museum. I didn’t get to talk to him for long because the director of the Gotham Museum and Commissioner Gordon arrived right after that. While I was talking to Jim Gordon, Ewan Hale disappeared.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Ewan Hale?” he asked, annoyed.

“Because I checked him out later and it was really him,” she told him. “I’m not incapable of investigating a crime, Bruce. The man I met that night matched the picture of Ewan Hale.”

“Have you seen Hale here?”

“No, not yet, but that doesn’t mean that he still won’t show up.”

Bruce thought for a long moment before reaching over to take her hand in his. “Let’s mingle and see who we can meet tonight,” he suggested. “Hopefully, something will begin to click or someone will make a slip that will lead us to our thief.”

Diana rolled her green eyes as she shook her head. “Bruce, we’ve never been that lucky,” she pointed out. “Second of all, our thief is too good to make a mistake.”

“Everyone makes a mistake sooner or later,” Bruce told her, both of them missing the sudden appearance of another unexpected guess. “It’s just a matter of us being there at the right time to catch it.”

**_Vanover Castle; October 6th, 00:35 GMT+1_ **

Walking hand in hand down the hall, Bruce led Diana back to their bedroom and the bed that awaited them. He’d already decided that he was going to sleep on the small couch, letting Diana have the bed to herself. There was no way that he was going to take a risk like that. His self-control was already hanging by a very thin thread right now without adding gasoline to the inferno.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, noticing for the hundredth time tonight that she looked breathtaking in that emerald green dress. It was still somewhat disconcerting seeing her with red hair. He missed the raven hair and bright blue eyes that he adored.

There was a comfortable silence that had settled between them as they made their way back to their room, each of them consumed with their own thoughts. He was thinking over the various people that they’d met tonight, each of them a possible suspect though he still imagined their thief to be a man.

Reaching their room, Bruce pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked it before opening the door for her. She gave him a small smile as she entered first, something definitely on her mind. He hoped she wasn’t worried about the sleeping arrangements. Taking advantage of her was not even an option. He cared too deeply for her to enter into a fling or to have a one night stand with her.

Following her inside, he began to loosen his tie as he closed and locked the door behind him. He had a lot of work he needed to do tonight before even thinking about sleep. He wanted to start looking into the people that he’d met tonight while it was all still fresh in his mind.

He watched as Diana made her way to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it only to fall back against the pile of pillows.

“I’m so glad that’s over with,” she murmured.

Bruce chuckled softly as he sat down on a nearby chair, pulling his tie off and unbuttoning the top two buttons of his dress shirt. “Why?” he asked. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“Yes, but you do these sort of things on a regular basis,” she reminded him as she rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with her hand. “It was more exhausting than fighting Cheetah.”

“It can be rather tiring,” he agreed as he sank back into his armchair, thoughtfully studying her for a moment before continuing. “You did really well tonight, Princess.”

The compliment as well as the sincerity in his voice took her by surprise, her lips softly curving with pleasure. “Thank you,” she replied as she removed the charmed necklace. “I’m not accustomed to a secret identity.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he told her.

Diana sat up on the edge of the bed as she thoughtfully began pulling the pins from her hair, raven curls tumbling free and causing Bruce’s throat to instantly go dry. He forgot how to breathe as she leaned forward and began to remove her high heels, her fingers skimming along her calf like he’d dreamed of doing.

“How do you do it, Bruce?” she asked him, her expression contemplative.

It took Bruce’s brain almost a whole minute to register the fact that she had said his name let alone asked him a question. “Do what?” he hoarsely questioned her, clearing his throat in an effort to pull himself together. It was getting rather warm in their suite.

“How do you pretend to be someone that you’re not, especially knowing that you’re purporting a lie?”

He tried his best to focus his thoughts once more, forcing himself to pay attention to her question and not her sinfully long legs. “What do you mean?”

She released a sigh as she tried to organize her thoughts, trying to put into words what she was feeling at that moment. “How do you pretend to be the womanizing Bruce Wayne when it’s the furthest from who you truly are? I know the real you and you’re nothing like what all the rumors say about you.”

“Are you sure about that?” he teased with a smirk.

“I’m positive,” she confirmed with a grin. “You live like a Tibetan monk, spending more time as Batman than you.”

“How do you know Batman isn’t the real me?”

“Because you’re not nearly as frightening as you make him out to be,” she replied.

“You wound me, Princess,” he said with mock hurt, his hand touching his chest right over his heart. “I’m sure there has to be a time when you’ve been frightened of me.”

“Frightened of you—never,” she told him with a shake of her head. “Frightened for you—more times than I can begin to count.”

“Frightened for me?” he questioned her, surprised by her response. His anger was prickled by her words. “Why would you be frightened for me? Don’t you think I can handle myself?”

“I know you are fully capable of handling yourself, Bruce, but you have to admit you have a death wish sometimes,” she pointed out. “It’s almost like you’re part suicidal.”

“I just do whatever it takes to save lives,” he maintained.

“I’m not questioning your bravery,” she countered. “I think you’re the most courageous man I have ever known. It’s your methods that scare me half to death and gives me nightmares.”

Bruce was stunned silent by her compliment. It was very high praise coming from an Amazon warrior. It humbled him in a way that he hadn’t anticipated, his feelings for her unexpectedly growing. He had no idea what she saw in him, a goddess who was perfect in every sense of the word. Did she really feel more than just attraction to him?

“I’m sorry that I scare you,” he found himself saying, his eyes softening as he studied her. “I’d like to say it won’t ever happen again, but I can’t lie to you, Princess. I’ll do whatever I have to make sure others are safe…including you.”

“I know,” she softly said. “I’ll just have to be there too in order to make sure I keep you from dying on me.”

Her words struck him like the stab of a knife right to his chest. His throat constricted with the reminder of what was coming for her. Something was coming to take her away from him and it terrified him senseless. He couldn’t lose her. He was in too deep, his heart and soul too wrapped up in her. She was a part of him now.

“You should probably get ready for bed,” he told her, needing to change the subject. He felt his walls beginning to crumble. “It’s been a long day.”

She smiled softly as she stood to her feet, making her way towards her suitcase. “I think I’m going to take a hot bath before bed,” she decided.

Bruce quickly stood to his feet, needing to get out of there as fast possible. “I’m going to do some exploring.”

Diana turned to face him, a frown on her face. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No!” he replied a little too quickly and far too emphatically. “No, get some sleep, Princess. We’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to gather more information. I’m just going to see what I can find out before turning in.”

Diana reached out and grabbed hold of his hand without a second thought, his fingers instinctively wrapping around hers. “Don’t stay out too late,” she said. “I know it’s not Gotham, but you don’t have to patrol Vanover Castle.”

Bruce chuckled lightly as he squeezed her fingers, gently pulling free from her hold. “I’m just giving you some privacy,” he lied. He knew he couldn’t be here in this bedroom knowing she was naked and wet in the next room. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Just promise me you packed night clothes, Princess. No sleeping Amazonian style while we’re here.”

A mischievous smirk spread across her red lips. “And how do you know that I sleep in the nude, Bruce?”

He felt a cold sweat threaten to break out as he stared at her, his breath hitching. “Just a hunch,” he replied. “Pajamas, Princess. No nudity.”

“I never knew Bruce Wayne was such a prude,” she teased with a shake of her head. “I guess you’ll just have to find out when you crawl into bed tonight.”

“I’m not sleeping in that bed with you,” he definitively stated despite how much hotter it was rapidly becoming in this room.

Diana frowned as she stared at him in stunned disbelief. “And just where exactly do you plan on sleeping while we’re here? In the bathtub?”

“The couch,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest in stubborn defiance. Bruce Wayne had just left the room and Batman stood firmly in his place now.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. “Bruce, this is a king sized bed. We can both sleep in it without even knowing the other is there.”

“Diana…” he sternly began.

“Don’t Diana me!” she exclaimed in exasperation. “Hera, Bruce. We’re both adults. I trust you to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Maybe, but how do I know you won’t try to take advantage of a poor mortal man like me?” he teased. “I mean you are an Amazon from an all female island, Diana. Can you handle being in the same bed as a man?”

“I guess we’ll find out if I can control myself, won’t we?” she muttered as she turned her back to him, missing his lustful, lingering gaze that raked over her very feminine curves as she bent over to retrieve her things.

“We’ll see, Princess…we’ll see,” he murmured as he left, his azure eyes dancing with amusement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Surprise! I'm updating early because I loved how this update turned out and I was anxious to get it posted because they're finally undercover. Second, I had some requests from readers who wanted me to post faster so this is me trying to do that. I'm currently half done with Chp 24 and I'm super excited about how this is coming together. Hope you are loving it too!
> 
> Up next: Does Bruce end up sleeping on the couch or does he sleep in bed with Diana? Alex tries to get to know Diana better and John and Mari may not be doing as well as everyone thought. :)


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**_Vanover Castle; October 7th, 07:16 GMT+1_ **

Bruce softly groaned as he adjusted his position, the small couch not affording him a very comfortable night’s sleep, but he’d been more than determined to keep a safe distance from the princess. She was already smashing down his walls left and right without crawling right into that bed with her no matter how innocent she thinks it might seem.

Yes, they were adults, but there was also a sexual attraction to one another and that made for a very dangerous situation…especially when one of those two people was a goddess.

He rolled onto his left side with a sigh, his eyes falling on the bed that he could have slept in last night, but had obstinately chosen the very small couch instead. He probably would’ve gotten a better night’s sleep if he’d decided on sleeping in the bathtub instead of the small loveseat.

He found Diana facing him, lying on her right side with her left hand on the pillow beside her head. She looked so beautiful as she slept, like an angel who had fallen from heaven to grace them with her presence. There was a sense of contentment about her, her expression so serene. 

Thankfully, she was wearing a black nightgown with spaghetti straps instead of sleeping in the nude. He was positive, though, that it was going to be a gown that was going to strike him dumb when he saw her in it. It didn’t help that her raven mane was tousled from sleep, adding to her sexiness.

He rubbed his forehead in an attempt to ward of the headache that lingered behind his eyes. He swore the universe was out to get him, forcing him to spend four days alone in a bedroom with the one woman he wanted more than anything in this world, but he was too afraid of letting her in.

Could he really have what he wanted most with her? Was he even capable of giving her everything she deserved and more?

He wanted to believe that he really could, but he was afraid he never would be able to. She was so pure and light and full of compassion. She was all that was good and right in the world. She deserved so much more than anything he could ever hope to offer her, more than his fractured heart could possibly give. Despite how much he truly loved her, he still feared it wasn’t enough…not for a goddess like her.

Could someone who lived and worked in the dark actually allow any joy in his life? Would he lose the pain and bitterness, the rage and razor-sharp focus that he needed to be Batman?

Diana could very easily drive him to distraction on a good day. How much harder would it be to focus on a mission or an important investigation if they were lovers? It would be next to impossible for him to concentrate knowing that she was in danger at any given moment. Of course, he worried about her at any given moment now as it was.

Bruce slowly sat up with a barely suppressed moan, stiffness consuming every inch of his body. When he had returned to their bedroom last night a couple of hours later, he’d found Diana already sleeping soundly in bed. 

He had worked for a couple of hours investigating Alex Bristow, Grace Burke and Callum Mitchell as well as a couple from New York City by the name of Spencer & Emily Ballard that he’d met. He wasn’t convinced that the thief was actually a couple, but he wasn’t ruling anything out at this point.

There was also Madeleine Sandoval. She was Leo Vanover’s personal lawyer who had been in service to him for the last ten years, managing his finances and overseeing his countless investments. He was anxious to talk to her to see what he could learn from her.

In the midst of his research, it had been the things that he had learned about Alex Bristow that had startled him the most. The Englishman was about the same age as him, having lost his parents in a fatal car accident when he was eleven. His twin sister had been bed bound since the accident, severe head trauma leaving her nothing more than an empty shell. The similarities between him and Alex had been glaring to say the least, rattling him somewhat.

He had intended to work longer into the night, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Alex Bristow and how similar their lives were. He couldn’t help wondering how Alex had handled the loss. What had he turned to in order to deal with the painful loss? He didn’t know the answer, but he was anxious to find out.

His mind took him back to the moment that he decided to become Batman, the promise that he had made at his parents graves finally taking shape. Thinking back on those choices that he’d made, he had sat there just watching Diana as she slept, thinking and wrestling with his desire for her that could have so easily taken him to her bed. He had so desperately wanted to crawl into that bed with her, to make love to her, but he couldn’t because of who he was. 

His life would’ve been so different had he not chosen to don the cape and cowl. He probably never would’ve met her, would never have known her fiery spirit and fierce heart. The fear of destroying her that consumed him had poured an icy bucket of water on his desire for her, reminding him how he could ultimately crush her if he wasn’t careful. He needed to protect her from him, save her from making the same mistake that all the women from his past had made—getting too close to him.

Ultimately, his fear had won out, forcing him to sleep on the cramped couch.

He didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to hold out, though. It was already becoming more than difficult and it was only Friday morning. They still had three more nights to get through. The thought of spending another night on the couch made him internally cringe, causing his head to pound harder than it already was. Thankfully, the nightmares that usually accompanied his sleep had been held at bay last night for some reason.

He knew he was going to have to give in tonight and sleep in that bed with her or he’d be next to useless on this mission. His sleep for the last two months has been restless and short-lived at best. It was starting to eat away at the very fabric of his sanity. 

Tonight, he would allow himself to sleep in that bed with her, but he would not give in to temptation. It was far too dangerous for her to be so close to him. Loving him could cost Diana her life. Of course, not letting her in was going to cost him her life as well.

A scowl formed on his face as his tired eyes fell on her once more only to find sleepy, sapphire orbs staring back at him. “Stubborn to the very core, aren’t you?” she softly asked, her tone filled with unmistakable hurt.

“Diana…” he began, straightening up and attempting to stifle a groan with the movement. He refused to appear weak before her.

She sat up in bed, the sheet falling away from her body to reveal her lingerie clad form. He was right. He could already feel his dress pants growing tighter by the second. Her raven hair was mussed from sleep, slipping over her bare shoulder. Her expression was hurt…sad. He knew he was the reason behind it and it made his throat constrict with guilt.

“Am I really that repulsive to be near that you would willingly choose to sleep on a cramped couch in your clothes from last night than to sleep in the same bed as me?” she asked, not giving him time to come up with some lame excuse meant to placate her.

The heartache that laced her voice was like a knife’s blade to his heart, his chin falling to his chest as he released a sigh. How could this beautiful creature possibly think that she was hideous or completely undesirable in any way? It was because she was so absolutely beautiful…because he didn’t trust himself to be that close to her without taking her and making her his that he hadn’t been able to sleep in that bed with her last night.

“That’s not it at all, Diana,” he said as he raised his head to look at her to find that she was now standing beside the bed, partly turned away from him.

“You won’t talk about kissing me in the cave,” she replied, wrapping her arms around herself as if holding herself together. “You refuse to even sleep in the same bed as me. What am I supposed to think, Bruce?”

He stared at her in stunned disbelief, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of this. He should’ve known that she would believe that his current struggles were because of some fault of her own, not because his demons were rearing their ugly heads again in an attempt to drag down into that dark abyss. 

He had tried to tell himself that the kiss they had shared had been rooted in mere physical attraction on her part, but now he realized that it was far more than that to her. She had feelings for him too, desired more than just friendship with him. It both excited him and scared the hell out of him.

Diana didn’t wait for an answer, turning her back to him as she lowered her head. “I’m going to get a shower,” she softly said, grabbing her bag before heading to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Bruce swallowed hard as he heard the shower start up; his mind quickly taking him places that he should never go…not with her. He imagined it was his hands removing her lingerie instead of her own, watching hungrily as it slowly slid over her feminine curves. He envisioned following the path of his hands with passion-filled kisses against her soft skin before picking her up and carrying her into the shower with him, pressing her up against the shower wall as he finally surrendered everything he had to her.

Bruce swiftly rubbed his face with his hands in a futile attempt to banish the lustful thoughts from his mind, but it was no use. He was hopelessly in love with her, his heart never to be his own ever again. Now, he just had to decide whether he was going to at least try to allow some happiness into his life or if he was going to continue to shove her away…to become the bitter, lonely old man he had met in the future.

Memories of his elder self rose to the surface of his mind, causing an icy chill to course through his veins. No, he didn’t want to end up like that, he didn’t want to watch as Diana died in his arms…didn’t want to be in a world that she wasn’t a part of. 

He knew that he needed to do something about his feelings for her before it was too late for both of them.

**_Vanover Castle; October 7th, 11:05 GMT+1_ **

Diana did her best to focus on the book she’d been trying to read for the past hour, but was failing miserably. She’d read and reread the last paragraph for the last thirty minutes at least, but her mind refused to cooperate with her no matter how hard she tried.

Thoughts of Bruce continued to besiege her, trying desperately to understand and figure out what it was that he actually felt for her. She couldn’t help wondering if he even knew what he felt for her. One minute he was kissing her in the cave and the next he’s sleeping on the couch in an effort to avoid being near her. It made absolutely no sense.

She didn’t know whether to strangle him or kiss him senseless in an effort to make him see what was right before him. What was it about her that he didn’t want? Did he truly not feel anything for her at all past simple attraction? She had been so hesitant about pursuing anything with him for this very reason. Every time she got anywhere close to him, he began shutting her out all over again. She didn’t know how much longer she could take it.

Being around him only reminded her of what she wanted but could never have. She was going to have to either force him to see that he could have happiness in his life or she was going to have to lock away these feelings all over again. That obviously hadn’t worked for her the last time. Her feelings of attraction had stubbornly grown into love when she hadn’t been looking.

Adjusting her sunglasses, she attempted to refocus her attention only to find a shadow falling over her, blocking what little bit of sun there actually was this morning in this part of England. She looked up to find Alex standing beside her lounge chair, a smile on his face and two drinks in his hands.

“Thought you could use something to drink,” he told her, handing her a glass of iced tea. “Of course, not that it’s warm enough to go for a swim. I’m afraid fall weather in England isn’t necessarily the nicest.”

“Yes, but I hear the indoor pool in the west wing is unbeatable,” she replied, taking the offered drink with a warm smile, setting her book aside. “Thank you for the drink.”

“Care if I join you?” he asked. “You kind of looked as if you weren’t enjoying your book very much.”

“Just a lot on my mind lately,” she confessed with a sigh. “How are you enjoying your time here so far?” 

Alex took a seat on the lounge chair next to her, sitting on the edge of it in order to face her. He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees with his drink between his hands. “It’s been quite…interesting so far,” he divulged with a thoughtful smile. “The estate is quite beautiful, but I’m anxious to see everything that Vanover has managed to accumulate over the years. I don’t see the need to delay what we’re all here for by pampering us with alcohol, parties, and social activities. It’s quite senseless if you ask me.”

“Maybe Mister Vanover wanted to make it a weekend none of us will ever forget…a parting gift so to speak,” she suggested.

“Perhaps,” he conceded with a nod. “I guess it gave me a chance to meet some interesting people like you.”

Diana smiled with his compliment, taking a sip of her drink. “Have you explored the castle or the grounds yet?”

“No, not completely,” he admitted. “I was thinking of checking out the horse stables this afternoon. I heard from Callum that Vanover has a magnificent stable full of prized horses that are quite anxious to be taken for a ride.”

“I may have to take one of the horses out to explore the grounds myself,” she decided.

“Maybe we can go together,” he suggested.

“Hey, Diana!”

Diana looked up to find Spencer and Emily Ballard walking hand in hand towards them. She smiled at the endearing couple. “Are you enjoying your stroll around the gardens?”

“Very much,” Emily replied. “We were hoping you and Bruce would join us for a horseback ride this afternoon.”

“I’d love to, but I believe Bruce will be occupied this afternoon,” she informed them with a frown, reminded once again about how mad she was at him.

Emily’s bottom lip protruded slightly in a pout. “That’s too bad,” she said. “Alex, would you like to join us?”

“I’d like that…as long as I’m not intruding,” he told her.

“Of course not,” Spencer confirmed. “You can take Bruce’s place since he’ll be tied up.”

Alex glanced at Diana as if silently seeking reassurance that she didn’t mind. “That would be lovely,” she agreed, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

It would be rude to back out now, but she was a little concerned. She knew that she could actually find herself attracted to Alex if she spent much time with him. Plus, she had to remember that she was here with Bruce despite being angry with him. 

“Splendid,” Emily exclaimed. “We’ll meet you both at the staples around two o’clock.”

“See you then,” Alex replied.

Diana watched as the couple walked away, her thoughts drifting to her surroundings. “I wonder what will become of this place after the auction is over,” she wondered out loud, hating to think of this beautiful estate deteriorating into ruins when this weekend was over.

“I believe the estate will eventually be going up for auction as well,” he said. “The staff is only staying through this weekend and then most of them are leaving for other jobs. I think Grace and Callum are staying on for the time being to manage everything until the estate is sold. I’m not sure what Madeleine Sandoval is going to do.”

“So what are you interested in purchasing this weekend?” she asked, sitting up to face the Englishman.

“A little of everything,” he ominously replied. “I’m an antiques dealer. I have several people that I acquire various items of interest for. Is there anything else that interests you besides Greek artifacts?”

“Actually, I’m interested in many forms of art.”

“What is that you do, Miss Prince?”

“I’m a museum curator specializing in Greek artifacts.”

“That sounds fascinating,” he commented with an appreciative nod. “Is that how you met Bruce Wayne?”

“Yes, we met at a museum function,” Diana answered just like she’d rehearsed. Bruce had practically written out whole scenarios for her in order to cover any and all questions that might be asked of her. “We started talking about one of the exhibits while we were there and we just hit it off.”

Alex studied her for a long moment as if considering his words before finally speaking again. “Please, do not be offended by what I’m about to say to you, but I have to admit that it’s a little surprising to see someone as highly intelligent as yourself with someone with the reputation of Bruce Wayne. To be honest, you don’t quite seem his type.”

Diana chuckled softly before taking another drink of her tea. “Well, I know it may seem like an unconventional relationship, but we actually have quite a bit in common. I will tell you that there’s a lot more to him than the rumors give him credit for. He has a very generous heart that few truly get to see. I think that’s what captured my attention more than anything…that he’s very intelligent.”

Alex could tell by the way that she talked about her boyfriend, the way that her green eyes danced that she had fallen for the billionaire. He just hoped that Wayne knew what he had and didn’t just toss her aside like all the other women that he’d dated over the years. Wayne truly had an amazing woman by his side, one that Alex felt he could’ve actually had a future with himself if he’d met her first.

He’d given up the notion of ever finding someone to share his life with long ago, never believing that he was worth the effort. He had far too many issues, too many broken pieces and too much pain that he carried in his heart to be worth someone loving him. Now, he couldn’t help wondering if Diana might have been able to help put him back together again, heal the jagged pieces of his life.

“I hope that the two of you will be very happy together,” Alex evenly said, hoping that he sounded somewhat sincere.

“So what about you?” she asked, not wanting to talk about Bruce any longer. “I know there’s no Mrs. Bristow, but do you have someone special in your life?”

“Just a housekeeper that looks after me,” he fondly told her. “She’s helped raise me since I was born.”

Diana frowned. “No family?”

Alex stiffened with the question, but forced himself to appear relaxed instead of feeling like he was dying inside. Ava’s death was still so fresh, his emotions far too raw to talk about anything from his past let alone specifically his family. “I…I have no family,” he stated, his voice devoid of emotion. “It’s just me.”

Diana could tell that she had broached a very difficult subject for him. She wisely chose to go another route to get more information from him, but she also just enjoyed spending time with him. She enjoyed talking to him despite knowing that he was a suspect in a string of high-end robberies. He reminded her of Bruce, charming and intelligent. “I’m sorry to hear that, Alex,” she replied. “I don’t get to see my mother either.”

“Where are you from?” he asked with a curious tilt of his head. “I detect a bit of a Mediterranean accent.”

“Greece,” Diana informed him. “I was born in Karpathos.”

“Ah, so I was right,” he said with a victorious grin. “Beautiful country. Many of my travels have taken me there.”

“It’s very beautiful,” she agreed, ignoring the sadness that welled in her chest with memories of her island home. “I miss home very much.”

“Why don’t you go back?”

It was Diana’s turn to become solemn, her eyes growing distant with fond memories that hurt far too much to dwell on for long. “That’s…complicated,” she cryptically replied. “I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex apologized, sensing that he was treading into upsetting territory. He knew that feeling all too well, carried it deep within him like an unwanted companion. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

Diana bit at her bottom lip, averting her eyes only to unexpectedly spot Bruce standing in the shadows of the castle watching them from a distance with his arms crossed and a dark scowl on his face. It made her bristle with a sudden wave of anger knowing that he was spying on her. She quickly turned her attention back to Alex, ignoring Bruce all together.

“It’s all right, Alex,” she reassured him. “Talking about home is just difficult for me.”

“I completely understand, Diana,” he said, reaching out and taking hold of her hand. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ve been told that I’m a pretty decent listener.”

A genuine smile formed on her lips, her entire countenance brightening as she squeezed his hand in return before pulling back. “I appreciate that,” she responded. “That goes both ways you know. I believe that you can never have too many friends.”

Alex was truly touched by her words, finding it difficult to breathe. “To be honest, I don’t have that many friends,” he found himself revealing for reasons he couldn’t begin to fathom. 

He’d never felt like he could open up with anyone like this besides Annaliesa and Ava, choosing rather to keep everything bottled up inside. Now, he found himself opening up to this woman that he hardly knew and yet felt that he had known her all his life.

Diana was taken aback by the revelation. Of course, she probably shouldn’t be surprised. He did remind her of Bruce in so many ways that startled her. She couldn’t help wondering just how far those similarities actually ran. “Why is that?”

“My work keeps me away from home,” he carefully chose his words. “It makes it difficult to maintain friendships when I’m constantly travelling.”

“Diana.”

The unexpected sound of Bruce’s rich baritone voice captured her attention and intruded on their conversation. They both turned to find Bruce walking towards them, his piercing blue eyes seeming to penetrate straight through her as he stared at her with jaw clenched tight. She could tell by his stiff posture that he was definitely angry about something.

“Bruce,” she greeted him with a forced smile that did not reach her eyes. “Where have you been?”

“Exploring,” he simply stated, coming to sit down close beside her on her lounge chair. He immediately reached over, capturing her hand possessively in his, his eyes falling on Alex as if telling him to back off. “I was hoping I could persuade you to eat some lunch with me.”

“That sounds good,” she said, pulling her hand free from his hold before standing to her feet. She was in no mood to be flirty and romantic with him right now. She was angry and hurt and he was the cause of it. “I’m getting rather hungry. Alex, would you care to join us?”

Standing to his feet, Bruce immediately grew rigid with her invitation, grinding his teeth in irritation. He did his best to smother the flames of jealousy that were liking at his insides, but it was proving rather difficult at that moment. He didn’t like the fact that Alex had sought Diana out or the way that he looked at her, but he knew that he needed to focus on the reason why they were here in the first place.

“Yes, Alex, please join us,” Bruce tightly said.

Alex looked from Diana to Bruce and back again as he stood to his feet. “Actually, I have a couple of phone calls I need to make to some clients interested in some of Vanover’s collections,” he told them. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

“It was nice talking to you, Alex,” Diana said. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

“Till then, Diana,” Alex replied with a fond smile.

Taking her hand in his again, Bruce began to lead her away, more than a little angry with her. She was supposed to be with him, not out talking to other men. He didn’t like it one bit and was more than prepared to make sure she knew it.

“What were you doing?” he questioned her, forcing a smile to his face as he nodded to another couple as they passed by.

“I believe it’s called conversing,” she replied, wondering where this was coming from. 

They had decided on the airplane ride to England that they would divide and conquer so to speak, each spending time with as many people as possible in order to ferret out their elusive thief. Now, he was acting like she had committed a crime by talking to Alex. Besides, Alex had sought her out, not the other way around.

“With Alex?” he bit out, keeping his expression as laid back as possible despite the fact that he was fuming on the inside.

“I thought we had agreed that he was a definite suspect, Bruce,” she quietly stated, her anger growing hotter. “He came to me to talk and I jumped on the chance to get closer to him.”

Bruce bristled. “And just how much closer are you planning to become with him?” he demanded to know.

“Just what exactly are you insinuating?” she snapped, her eyes narrowing into twin flames of green fury.

“Nothing,” he claimed. “I’m just reminding you that you’re supposed to be here with me, Diana. You’re my girlfriend. Don’t forget that fact.”

Diana pulled him to a stop in a secluded alcove where they wouldn’t be seen or heard, yanking her hand free from his grasp as she glared daggers at him. “How dare you say that to me,” she ground out, her tone dangerous. “You won’t even sleep in the same bed as me and now you have the audacity to act like a jealous man who has just been spurned.”

“Diana, you know why I can’t,” he growled, closing the distance between them, his lips a breath away from hers.   
His heart was beginning to pound in his ears as he stared into her eyes, wishing more than anything that things could be different…that _he_ was different. Oh how he wanted to kiss her right now, to tangle his fingers in her hair and lose himself inside of her.

“No, I don’t, Bruce, because you refuse to open up to me,” she quietly seethed. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

He was standing so close to her he could smell her intoxicating scent, could see the gleam of anger blazing in her emerald green eyes. What he wanted was to ravage her, to push her up against the wall and show her why he couldn’t be in that bed with her.

He swallowed hard, his chest clenching as his gaze fell to her perfect red lips. “We just have to be careful, Diana,” he softly said, tightening his grip on his emotions. “We don’t want to give anyone a reason to suspect that we’re not together. It could raise suspicions.”

“You’re planning on breaking up with me by Monday anyway,” she spat out. “Why not just save us both the trouble and do it now? Then you could have the room all to yourself and you won’t have to be near me anymore.”

Before Bruce could even begin to form a response, Diana stormed away, once again leaving him standing there stunned and feeling worse than he had before. How did he always manage to make things so much worse between them? 

He leaned against the wall, pressing the back of his head against it. He squeezed his eyes closed against the images of her dying that continually haunted him day and night. He didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to handle this battle storming inside of him.

One was going to be the victor—his heart or his mind. At this point, he wasn’t certain he was going to survive the war.

**_Watchtower; October 7th, 11:30 EST_ **

John’s head rolled to the side as he struggled to open his eyes, a low groan slipping free. He hurt from head to toe, his entire body aching. He struggled to remember what had happened, where he was. He remembered trying to stop a fire…an explosion…Shayera.

“Shayera,” he muttered, finally managing to force his eyes open.

He found Mari sitting at his bedside, an indescribable expression on her face. Hurt and worry mingled in his eyes as she stared at him, her grasp tightening on his hand. “John, I’m here,” she reassured him, fighting to keep the hurt from her voice.

“What happened to Shayera?” he asked, trying to sit up.

Mari grew tense with his worry for his former lover, anger beginning to replace the worry that she had been feeling. “Shayera is fine,” she informed him. “Worry about yourself, John. You need to rest right now.”

He fell back against the pillows, gasping sharply with the pain that lanced through his side. “I’m going to be fine,” he tried to reassure her.

Mari grew quiet as she held his hand, relieved that he was finally awake and yet angered by his worry over Shayera. She had truly believed that John had gotten over the Thanagarian, moving past his feelings for her and wanting to spend a life with her instead. Now, she was beginning to see that his heart was always going to belong to the Thanagarian no matter who came into his life.

John could feel the tension rolling off Mari, knowing that something was definitely wrong. “Don’t worry about me…I’ll be fine,” he told her.

“I know,” she softly said, not meeting his penetrating gaze. “And your heart is always going to belong to Shayera.”

“What?” he asked, stunned.

“Please, John,” she said with a sigh. “Don’t pretend that you still don’t have feelings for her.”

“Mari, I love you,” he replied, struggling to sit up again.

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, keeping him from trying to get up. “I know you do on some level, John, but not in the way that you love her.”

He frowned as he stared at her, swallowing hard as he tried to make his voice work. “What…what are you saying?”

“I think you know what I’m saying,” she said. “I think I’m not who you need to be with...who you really want to be with.”

“Please, Mari…don’t do this now,” he pleaded with her.

“It’s not going to be any easier later, John,” she replied. “It’s better we just end this now and still be friends than grow to resent each other.”

He closed his eyes against the heartache that welled in his chest, finding it difficult to breathe. “I’m so sorry,” he softly murmured.

Mari leaned in and pressed a kiss to his temple, tears glistening in her eyes. “I am too,” she whispered. “Take care yourself.”

She released his hand before making a quick exit, leaving him lying there in the med bay all alone. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering how in the world everything had just fallen apart. He really thought that he loved Mari, but Shayera’s return had just proven to him where his true love still lay.

The trouble was he had no idea if Shayera still held any feelings for him any longer or if he wanted to take the risk of getting back together with her. He didn’t know if his heart could take being broken all over again, not by her.

“How are you feeling?” J’onn asked as he approached, sensing that the former Marine could use a friend right now.

“I’ve been better,” he uttered with a sigh.

J’onn checked the monitor readings before checking his bandages. “You took quite a hit with that explosion,” he revealed. “Bad concussion, several broken ribs, internal bleeding, but you should make a full recovery. You’ll need to spend a couple more days here in the infirmary, though.”

“Was anyone else hurt?” he asked.

“Shayera sustained some burns from flying debris,” J’onn told him. 

“Is she all right?”

J’onn glanced at the Green Lantern, sensing the internal struggle his friend was experiencing. “Yes, she should recover in a couple of days,” he replied. “I believe there are some friends who would like to see you if you’re up for visitors.”

“Like who?”

“Flash has been here at least a couple of dozen times in the last hour alone to see if you had woken yet,” he revealed. “There has also been a certain winged heroine who has been loitering outside of the med bay in the waiting room.”

John’s eyes fell closed with the news, almost afraid to hope that Shay still had feelings for him. “I don’t know if I can handle seeing Shayera right now, J’onn,” he softly said. “I’d rather be alone. Maybe I’ll be up to seeing them this afternoon.”

“I’ll let them know that you’re awake, but need to rest right now,” J’onn decided. “I have monitor duty soon, but let the nurses or Dr. Morgan know if you need anything at all.”

“I will,” he said, turning over on to his right side with a groan. At that moment, all he wanted to do was to sleep and forget about how his heart was breaking all over again. He had honestly thought he loved Mari, but he knew that he loved Shayera more. What they had shared was still so very real to him, not something that he could so easily forget or move past.

Memories of his son Rex flooded his mind, reminding him of the overwhelming pride he’d felt in meeting his son…the future man that he and Shayera would one day create together. He found that despite his refusal to be destiny’s puppet, he wanted that future more than anything. He wanted to be with Shayera, wanted to make that son with her and hopefully many more children.

The problem now was whether Shayera truly wanted that future too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How much longer before Bruce finally surrenders to what he wants? I'll tell you it won't be much longer...like a couple chapters. :)
> 
> Up Next: Someone very unexpected shows up at the castle and Bruce & Alex have a heart to heart to talk.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_**Vanover Castle; October 7th, 19:07 GMT+1** ___

__Bruce sat alone at the bar in the expansive ballroom that had become the place for the numerous guests to hang out during their time here. He nursed his half empty glass of scotch, only taking sips of it. He wasn’t that much of a drinker, but right now it felt like what he needed most to get him through this._ _

__He hadn’t seen Diana since their fight this morning. Scratch that. He’d only caught a glimpse of her on a horse as she went for a ride with Alex and another couple he didn’t know. It had done very little to settle his simmering jealousy that pulsated through his veins._ _

__In an effort to forget about her, he’d spent almost the entire afternoon exploring the castle, learning the layout and how the security system was set up. He’d returned to their bedroom long enough to shower and change into his tux for the evening, coming here to hideout so to speak until the ball started. He didn’t want to be there when she returned to get ready for tonight._ _

__He still didn’t know what he was going to say to her. He knew he definitely needed to start with an apology, beseeching for mercy somewhere after that before she broke his jaw. Hopefully, the offer to share the bed tonight continued to hold true. His neck was still stiff from that stupid couch._ _

__He’d been a complete ass this morning and he knew it. Diana had done absolutely nothing wrong and yet he had treated her like she’d committed the crime of the century. He momentarily closed his eyes, his chin falling to his chest as he released a sigh before he took another drink._ _

__How did he always manage to screw everything up so badly when it came to Diana? Every other woman in the world could be charmed and wooed so effortlessly by him and yet, when it came to her, he found his foot in his mouth and emotions storming so out of control._ _

__He knew it was because it was Diana…and he was in love with her._ _

__His princess was unlike any woman he’d ever known and he’d known more than his fair share. She made him want things that he had had always told himself he could never have, made him weak in the knees and his heart to skip a beat. She turned his cast-iron will into jelly with just one look; make his head spin with that smile alone._ _

__He wanted her like nothing else he’d ever wanted in his life save for his parents. He was just so tired of fighting this desire that continually gripped him like a vice that refused to relinquish its hold on him. She was his addiction, his weakness…his Kryptonite._ _

__“Fancy meeting you here, handsome.”_ _

__The words whispered in his ear in that low sultry voice made him immediately grind his teeth. He downed the last of his Scotch before turning to glare into the green eyes of Selina Kyle. “What are you doing here?” he angrily demanded._ _

__Selina’s bottom lip protruded slightly in a pout, giving him her best wounded look. “Bruce, I’m hurt,” she replied with mock sorrow, her forefinger reaching out to trace his lips. “I thought you’d be a little happier to see me especially with how things were left unfinished the last time I saw you.”_ _

__Bruce remembered that moment in the cave all too well. He’d been rattled by Diana’s run-in with Lashina, leaving him in dire need of some sort of release of the stress and fear that he’d bottled up inside of him. Unfortunately, Selina had been all too anxious to give him whatever he wanted, but it had been in that kiss they’d shared that he’d fully realized that he was hopelessly in love with Diana. No other woman would ever be able to give him what he wanted or needed, quenching his desire._ _

__“We’re done, Selina,” he told her, taking her finger and lowering it from his face. “I’m sorry about kissing you, but nothing more is ever going to happen between us.”_ _

__Selina stared at him a long moment. She knew he was in love with the Wonder Bimbo, but that didn’t mean that she was going to just give up her man to anyone. Bruce would always be hers no matter what happened, no matter where life took them or tried to keep them apart._ _

__She leaned in close, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “Bruce, you will always belong to me,” she firmly stated. “You and I are meant to be. We know and understand each other in ways that no one else possibly could because of what we’ve been through. Diana could never understand like I do.”_ _

__Bruce took her hand from his face, holding it firmly in his to keep her from touching him anymore. “We’re not good for each other, Selina. Deep down you know it could never truly work out between us. It’s time to leave what we had in the past and move on.”_ _

__“Move on like you have?” she spat out. “I saw the way you looked at Diana at the museum unveiling. You’re deluding yourself if you think you actually make her happy. She’s not like us, Bruce. She doesn’t have a dark, broken past like we have. She could never understand what you have truly been through…not like I can.”_ _

__Bruce looked down at their joined hands, knowing she was probably right, but, at the same time, he just couldn’t let Diana go. “Probably, but it’s still over between us, Selina,” he softly said. “Even if Diana and I never work out, I still can’t be with you anymore…especially when I’m in love with someone else. It’s not fair to either of us. I refuse to be a prisoner of my past any longer.”_ _

__At that moment, Bruce looked up to find Diana approaching them. She looked magnificent in an ivory and lace flapper style dress, her red mane of curls pulled over one shoulder. A silver band with a small silver feather in it circled her head and completed her look._ _

__He felt his heart leap in his chest with the sight of his princess, Selina completely forgotten in that moment. The fire that blazed like twin infernos in Diana’s eyes quickly reminded him of that fact. He instantly released Selina’s hand as he stood to his feet. “Diana,” he greeted her with his legendary playboy grin. “You look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”_ _

__“Thank you,” she curtly replied, her angry gaze falling on Selina. “I’m Diana Prince, Bruce’s girlfriend.”_ _

__“Selina Kyle,” she introduced herself, shaking Diana’s hand. Despite the appearance of the woman standing before her, she had a sneaking suspicion she was talking to Wonder Woman. “I’m Bruce’s former lover.”_ _

__Bruce’s jaw clenched tight as a steel trap as he took Diana’s hand in his. To say this was awkward would’ve been the understatement of the century. “It was nice seeing you again, Selina,” he told her. “Care to get something to eat, Diana?”_ _

__“Actually, I’ve lost my appetite, but I could use something to drink,” she evenly replied as she held Bruce’s hand in a death grip._ _

__Bruce winced with the way she was holding his hand; silently praying she didn’t crush it. He knew he deserved it, but he could hardly make things up to her if his hand was broken. “Let’s see what we can find,” he replied, leading Diana away from a seething Selina._ _

__“Could you please let up on my hand, Princess?” he leaned in and whispered in Diana’s ear. “I can’t make things right with a broken hand.”_ _

__“Do you deserve it?” she sweetly asked with a grin that could only be described as completely wicked._ _

__“Yes I deserve it, and I’m sure far more, but I can’t make it up to you if I’m in a body cast now can I?” he ground out, releasing a slow breath as she relaxed her grip._ _

__“What in Hades is she doing here?” Diana demanded to know as they approached a table filled with appetizers, releasing his hand to put some olives on a plate._ _

__“I have a pretty good guess,” he replied, flexing his fingers in an effort to get the blood circulating again._ _

__“Did you know she was going to be here?”_ _

__Bruce took a plate, filling it as he glanced at his angry princess. She truly was breathtaking. The contrast of her red hair with her ivory dress, her red full lips that he was aching to kiss was making it next to impossible to focus on anything but her._ _

__“Honestly, I was worried that she’d show up here this weekend,” he admitted. “When I didn’t see her last night, I’d hoped that was a good sign that she wasn’t coming.”_ _

__“How did she get invited?” Diana asked. “It’s not like her name is up there among the high ranks of Wayne.”_ _

__“Knowing Selina, she pulled some strings to get herself invited,” he confessed with a frown._ _

__Bruce followed Diana to another bar, each taking a glass of wine before heading to an empty table. “Are there anymore ex-lovers that I should know about who could make a surprise appearance this weekend?”_ _

__Bruce knew that he deserved that jab along with the ire that filled her voice. He decided to try to lighten the mood, hoping it didn’t end up backfiring on him. “I expect Talia to show up around midnight,” he quipped. “Andrea should be here by morning and Cheetah sometime around noon tomorrow.”_ _

__Diana attempted to glare at him, but it was missing a measure of the heat that it had just held moments ago. It didn’t help either that the corners of her red lips were trying valiantly not to curl into a smile. “First of all, you only kissed Cheetah, not slept with her. Second, if Talia shows up here I’ll break her neck regardless of my secret identity and third—”_ _

__Diana didn’t get a chance to finish expressing her thoughts as Bruce tilted his head, his lips abruptly silencing her. He kissed her with a slow, passionate burn that made her lightheaded, his hand moving up to cup the side of her face. It left her feeling confused and aroused and everything in between. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just for their undercover mission, but she hardly cared at that moment._ _

__He broke the kiss as Alex called her name, disappointment rising inside of her. He’d only kissed her for Alex’s benefit, not because he actually wanted to. She didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to keep up this charade. It was proving far more difficult than she had imagined._ _

__“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alex apologized, uncomfortable with the fact that he had just interrupted the couple in the middle of a heated kiss._ _

__“Alex, please join us,” Diana replied somewhat breathlessly, her cheeks flushed pink more from the kiss than actual embarrassment._ _

__“I don’t want to intrude,” he said, glancing from Diana to Bruce and back again._ _

__“No, please…I insist,” Bruce told him with a warm smile he was definitely not feeling. He didn’t appreciate the way his attention lingered on Diana, but he knew that he needed to redeem himself for the incident earlier today._ _

__“If you’re sure you don’t mind,” Alex tentatively responded as he took a seat, placing his food and drink on the table._ _

__“How was your horse ride this afternoon?” Bruce asked, his left arm draped around Diana’s shoulders._ _

__Alex glanced at Diana, his eyes brimming with warmth and a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he dipped his head. “You should really ask Diana that question.”_ _

__Bruce looked at her with concern, his brow furrowing. “What happened?” he questioned her. “Are you okay?”_ _

__Diana grinned, a sheepish expression veiling her face. “It was nothing really,” she tried to tell him, but she could tell by the look on Bruce’s face that he wasn’t buying it. “Spencer and Emily joined us for a ride through the woods. Emily’s horse got spooked by a rabbit and it caused a chain reaction of sorts that turned out quite comical.”_ _

__“By the time it was over, Emily, Diana and myself ended up falling from our horses and into the creek,” Alex further explained. “Somehow Spencer managed to stay in his saddle to retrieve the horses.”_ _

__Bruce’s hand moved to rub Diana’s back, his focus on her. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked._ _

__“I’m fine,” Diana reassured him, kissing him on the cheek. “The only thing wounded was my pride.”_ _

__“The water was so cold,” Alex added. “It’ll be a wonder we don’t all catch cold from it.”_ _

__“I wouldn’t mind going again tomorrow,” Diana replied. “Maybe I can persuade Bruce to join us this time.”_ _

__Disappointment flashed through Alex’s eyes, but he quickly buried it. “Yes, that would be lovely as long as we avoid the creek.”_ _

__“Tomorrow we’ll also be able to look at the items going up for auction on Sunday,” Bruce mentioned. “I’d like to spend some time with you looking over the various artifacts. You’re input would be invaluable.”_ _

__“I think we’ll have plenty of time for everything,” she reassured him._ _

__“I hope so because I have a lot of plans yet for you and me later tonight,” he huskily told her with a lecherous grin as he leaned in and kissed her._ _

__Taken aback, it took Diana a couple of moments to respond to his kiss. She knew this was Bruce playing his part to the hilt, but it was still not something she relished being involved in. She hoped he wasn’t purposefully trying to make Alex feel uncomfortable._ _

__“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get another drink,” Diana uttered as she pulled out of the kiss, needing a little air._ _

__“I can get it for you,” Alex offered much to Bruce disdain._ _

__“No, thank you, Alex,” Diana replied. “I’d also like to get something else to eat. Bruce, can I get you anything else?”_ _

__“Not at the moment,” he told her._ _

__“I’ll be right back,” she said as she got to her feet, Alex standing to his feet in gentlemanly respect for her._ _

__Diana made a beeline for the bar, needing another glass of wine. She wasn’t sure how wise it was to leave Alex and Bruce alone together without a referee, but she needed a little break from them. She didn’t know how much more of Bruce and Alex vying for her attention she could take, especially knowing that Bruce was only playing a part…wasn’t he? It was all beginning to give her a headache just thinking about it._ _

__The biggest problem was that even after spending the afternoon with Alex, Spencer and Emily, she was still no closer to figuring out who was behind the thefts. She wasn’t completely convinced that Alex was their thief, but she wasn’t convinced he wasn’t either. Spencer and Emily were definitely pretty far down the list of suspects._ _

__“A glass of red wine please,” Diana requested, turning to find Ewan Hale to her right._ _

__He was the curator of London’s British Museum that she’d met at the Gotham Museum. He had suspiciously disappeared as she had been talking to Commissioner Gordon. The problem was that Ewan had met Wonder Woman, not Diana Prince at the Egyptian unveiling. She was going to have to start from scratch now._ _

__“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met yet,” Diana began, offering her hand to him. “I’m Diana Prince.”_ _

__“Ewan Hale,” he coolly stated, shaking her hand before turning his attention back to his drink._ _

__Diana didn’t think that he seemed to be none too thrilled with being here this weekend. She wasn’t certain if it was just his unpleasant personality or if he was solely focused on his reason for being here at the exclusion of personal interaction. Either way, she didn’t trust this man._ _

__“Where are you from?” she tried again._ _

__“London,” he bluntly stated. “I’m a curator. I’m here to procure some items for the British Museum. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”_ _

__Diana frowned as the man took his drink and stormed off, deciding she was going to have to keep a very close eye on him this weekend. He was beginning to look more and more suspicious every time she met him. She was not going to rule him out._ _

__“Here’s your wine, miss,” the bartender announced, handing her the glass._ _

__“Thank you,” she replied._ _

__“I’ll take a glass of white please.”_ _

__Diana looked to her left to find Selina Kyle right next to her. She instantly bristled, her instincts to fight this woman immediately kicking in. She didn’t trust this woman in the least even if Bruce did to some extent. She just had to remind herself that she wasn’t Wonder Woman right now._ _

__“Here you are, miss,” the bartender said as he gave Selina her glass of wine._ _

__“Thank you,” Selina said as she turned her attention to Diana. “So you’re Bruce’s current fling.”_ _

__“I’m his girlfriend,” Diana simply stated, not really wanting to talk to this woman. She was already getting under her skin and they’d hardly said more than a handful of words to each other._ _

__Selina leaned in towards her, her green eyes narrowing. “Nice necklace,” she said. “I’m sure if I were to remove it I’d find an Amazon princess staring back at me.”_ _

__If Diana was shocked by her words, she didn’t show it. Still, she was stunned by her deduction. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss Kyle.”_ _

__“Please, it’s Selina and I’m not stupid,” she responded with an icy tone. “I noticed the way Bruce looked at you when we attended the Gotham Museum event. He got the same look in his eyes when you walked in tonight. It’s not that big of a leap.”_ _

__“What look?” Diana asked, growing annoyed._ _

__“Don’t play coy with me,” Selina retorted. “Bruce may find it cute, but I don’t. You know Bruce thinks he’s in love with you.”_ _

__Diana felt her heart stutter with the unexpected revelation, taken aback by what she’d been too afraid to hope for. She knew there was a definite undercurrent of sexual tension between them, but she didn’t realize that it had gone so far as love on Bruce’s part._ _

__Her eyes immediately found Bruce still sitting at the table. He was talking rather intently with Alex, making her worried about what they were actually talking about. She knew that he wouldn’t do anything to blow their mission, but he had certainly not liked the way Alex was paying attention to her. Could Selina be right?_ _

__Selina noticed the way the Amazon was looking at Bruce. She was definitely in love with him as well. She was not about to go down without a fight even if she was a Meta Amazon. “I know you’re in love with him, but you can never truly have him.”_ _

__“I don’t know how any of it is your business,” Diana coolly replied. “I believe you called yourself his former lover.”_ _

__Selina closed the distance between them, a glower on her face. “Listen, I know you think you can make him happy, but you’ll never be able to. You can’t possibly know him or understand him like I do. He needs the darkness, thrives in it. You take that away from him and he’s no longer Batman.”_ _

__Diana grew rigid as she listened to Selina, self-doubt beginning to wage war on her heart. “I’m not going to stand here and listen to this,” she bit out, doing her best to keep herself from breaking this woman’s neck._ _

__As Diana began to turn away, Selina snatched hold of the princess’s wrist. Diana stopped in her tracks, looking down at Selina’s hand wrapped around her wrist before meeting the feline thief’s glare. The dangerous fury that stormed in Diana’s eyes forced Selina to release her hold on her as if she’d just been burned._ _

__“You’ll never be able to please him sexually like I can. Bruce and I share a special bond that you can’t begin to understand and will never have with him,” Selina seethed. “Enjoy this while you can because it won’t last, princess. He always ends up coming back to me. Remember that the next time he kisses you.”_ _

__Diana looked up to find Bruce staring at her, a sense of panic mingled with fury flashed in his eyes as he got up from the table. Deciding it was best to keep Bruce was unleashing his anger in front of everyone; she walked away from Selina without a word. Intercepting Bruce was more important than getting into a catfight with Selina even if she was itching to throw her through the nearest window._ _

__Diana only made it part way across the room before Bruce met her. “What did she say to you?” he angrily demanded to know as she took her hand in his, his frosty gaze locked on Selina._ _

__“It’s nothing,” Diana attempted to placate him. “Just…girl talk.”_ _

__Bruce looked at Diana, noticing the hurt that she tried so hard to hide. Whatever Selina had said to her had cut deeply. His hands moved to grip her upper arms, his eyes softening with concern. “Diana, I know it wasn’t ‘nothing’,” he said. “What did she say that upset you?”_ _

__“It doesn’t matter,” she replied as she shook her head, her lips pursing. “We’re here to catch a thief not discuss your former girlfriend.”_ _

__Before she could pull out of his hold, Bruce took her hand in his again. “Come…dance with me,” he insisted._ _

__He glared daggers at Selina as he led Diana out onto the dance floor. Selina merely grinned at him, unfazed by his obvious fury. He fought back the urge to go over there and find out exactly what she’d said to upset Diana, but decided against it. That’s exactly what Selina wanted, but he refused to play her games._ _

__Bruce pulled Diana into his arms, noticing once again how absolutely beautiful she was as they danced, the soft glow of the lights illuminating her features. He pulled her closer, inhaling her scent that made his head spin. He rested his cheek against hers, his lips grazing over her ear._ _

__“Talk to me, Princess,” he whispered. “What did Selina say?”_ _

__“She just said that she knew who I really was and that you two belong together,” Diana confessed, refusing to reveal anything more. “The rest doesn’t matter, Bruce.”_ _

__There were several moments of silence that followed as they continued to dance, Diana hoping that he’d just let it go, but she knew better than that. She didn’t want to talk about it. It only further awakened the doubt and fears that she had thought she had conquered. Now, they were back stronger than ever._ _

__“You can’t believe anything Selina says,” he murmured. “She’s manipulative and cunning…will do and say whatever she has to in order to get what she wants, but she won’t win this time. I did care for her at one time, Diana, but not any longer. I have feelings for someone else now.”_ _

__Diana felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared at Selina who was scowling darkly at them as they danced. If Bruce truly loved her like Selina believed then why couldn’t he just try to let her in and give her a chance…give them a chance?_ _

__She turned to press her forehead against his cheekbone, Selina’s words still swirling through her mind. Bruce’s hand that rested low on her back pulled her closer, pressing her hips firmly against his. She swore both of their hearts tripled in rhythm, her body flush against his and feeling every bit of his growing desire right there. It made her lightheaded to think that he wanted her as much as she wanted him._ _

__Turning her head, she breathed his name, a soft whisper against his ear that caused desire to shoot through him like a bolt of lightning. He only ever wanted to hear his name uttered by her just like that…so sensual and so wanton that all the reasons why he shouldn’t be with her completely disappeared along with the persistent voice in his head that continually told him how wrong this was._ _

__He found himself turning his face towards her, his lips lightly grazing hers with the movement. He could imagine what Selina must have said to Diana about him and right now everything inside of him was crying out for him to prove her wrong, to show his princess what he felt for her._ _

__His lips met hers again, a little more forceful and far more insistent. Diana’s lips instinctively parted without a second thought, inviting him in to taste her and lavish her with what beat in his heart. Her hand came to rest on the nape of his neck, her fingers stroking his hair._ _

__Everyone around them seemed to vanish as they lost themselves in each other and that kiss, but the doubts that Selina had stirred in Diana’s mind refused to be silenced. _“Enjoy this while you can because it won’t last. He always ends up coming back to me. Remember that the next time he kisses you.”__ _

__Diana abruptly pulled back with a breathless gasp, taking Bruce by surprise. His worried gaze roamed over her face, fear gripping him that Selina had just managed to destroy his chance with Diana. “Are you all right?”_ _

__She gave him a small smile. “Fine,” she attempted to reassure him as she averted her eyes only to spot Alex and Ewan Hale speaking privately together in a corner. “We might have a problem, though.”_ _

__“What is it?” he asked, fearing that she was talking about them._ _

__“I just spotted Alex talking quite intently with Ewan Hale.”_ _

__Bruce turned her so he could see what was happening. It was obvious whatever the pair was discussing was quite urgent. It became even more suspicious when Callum approached the pair, joining in on the intense conversation._ _

__“Something is definitely going on around here,” he agreed._ _

__**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 02:16 GMT+1_ ** _ _

__Bruce made his way back towards his suite, rubbing his forehead. He’d been all over the castle for the last several hours searching for anything that would help him figure out what was going on here. After spotting Alex talking with Ewan and Callum, he and Diana had continued to mingle with various guests, hoping to learn something, but had come up empty._ _

__Alex and Ewan had eventually left the party together, Bruce following them out into the extensive gardens. They had ended up sitting down on a bench, talking for a long time. He’d managed to catch a small portion of their conversation, but had been forced to retreat when several other couples had decided to move the party outside._ _

__It seemed that Alex and Ewan knew each other long before this weekend, their paths crossing multiple times with their respective professions. It wouldn’t be that far-fetched to think that they might be working together to steal the various items that had been taken over the years._ _

__So far, everyone that he’d met had been clean as far records—Alex Bristow, Spencer and Emily Ballard, Callum Mitchell, and Grace Burke as well as a handful of others. There was also Madeleine Sandoval that he had met this afternoon. She was Leo Vanover’s personal attorney, overseeing his finances and many of the properties that he owned here in England and in America. There was something about the beautiful blond that did not sit well with him, but he had yet to figure out what that something could be. He’d have to do more digging into her past as well._ _

__This whole case was growing more and more tedious with every passing day. He had hoped being here among the suspects would help, but it had only made it more difficult. It didn’t help that he was still wrestling with his feelings for Diana. In her attempt to drive them apart, Selina had forced him to reveal more than he had been willing to. Now that he had, though, he still felt a sense of conflict tormenting his heart._ _

__He wanted to pursue Diana more than anything, but could he really do that to her knowing that he’d only end up destroying her?_ _

__Turning the corner, Bruce found none other than Alex Bristow coming towards him. His expression was troubled, his thoughts obviously several miles away from Vanover Castle. “Alex,” Bruce called, capturing his attention. “You’re keeping late hours.”_ _

__Alex looked up with a start, suddenly noticing Bruce’s presence. He gave him a small smile as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “I guess so,” he absentmindedly responded, averting his eyes._ _

__“Is something wrong?” Bruce asked._ _

__“No…it’s nothing,” Alex tried to brush it off, but Bruce knew that look all too well. He saw it every time he looked in the mirror after a terrible nightmare._ _

__“Do you want to talk?” Bruce found himself offering despite the fact that he wanted to return to his suite and Diana in that big bed. “You look like you could use a drink. Come on.”_ _

__Alex reluctantly agreed, following the billionaire playboy back downstairs to the bar. They passed a few guests who were still trying to keep the party going despite the fact the numbers had dwindled to about seven. Most of them were completely smashed, Callum standing by keeping watch over them._ _

__Bruce nodded to Callum as they passed by, finding the bartender still there washing some glasses. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”_ _

__“Whiskey please,” Alex requested._ _

__Bruce held up his hand as the bartender turned his attention to him. “Nothing for me.”_ _

__“Come on, Bruce,” Alex coaxed. “Don’t make me drink alone.”_ _

__“Fine,” he relented. “I’ll take a ginger ale.”_ _

__“Coming right up,” the bartender replied._ _

__“Ginger ale?” Alex questioned him, an eyebrow arching in query. “Not quite fitting with the image I’ve heard so much about.”_ _

__“You can’t believe everything you hear,” he replied, taking his drink with a nod of thanks. “Many of those rumors have been blown pretty far out of proportion.”_ _

__“And the women?” Alex pressed, pausing to take a drink of his whiskey. “Have those exploits been greatly inflated?”_ _

__Bruce gave him a small smile. “I’ll be honest, Alex,” he guardedly responded. “I’m not exactly a saint. I’ve been with my fair share of women over the years.”_ _

__“So will Diana end up being like all the others?”_ _

__Bruce nearly choked on his drink, taken aback by the unexpected question. He managed to keep his expression stoic despite the myriad of questions and emotions that opening up on that particular subject caused him. It was always difficult for him to talk about his feelings, but now he was being asked about his heart—his princess._ _

__“I hope not,” Bruce warily confessed, his gaze focused on his drink. “I’d like to believe she’s the one that I didn’t realize that I’d needed all these years.”_ _

__Alex released a sigh, his own thoughts consumed with the woman who was beyond his reach. “She’s an amazing woman,” he told him. “You’re a very lucky man, Bruce. It’s quite obvious that she’s in love with you. Her entire face lights up when she talks about you.”_ _

__Bruce felt his heart stutter with Alex’s words, the notion of Diana being in love with him causing the fine lines around his eyes to soften. “Yes…I am.”_ _

__“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t jealous,” he admitted, taking another sip of his drink. “Definitely lucky.”_ _

__“So what has you up at this hour?” Bruce asked, needing desperately to change the subject._ _

__Alex’s gaze fell to his drink, the nightmare he’d attempted to forget roaring back to life all over again. “Nightmare,” he simply stated._ _

__Bruce frowned as he studied the other man. He’d already done his work, researching everything there was to know about Alex Bristow. He’d learned that he’d lost his parents at the age of eleven in a tragic motor vehicle accident, his twin sister tragically injured. It seemed they shared far more in common than an attraction to Diana._ _

__“I can relate,” Bruce admitted as he absentmindedly played with the small napkin that accompanied his drink._ _

__“I’m sure you can,” Alex said with a nod. “I have a feeling we’re more alike than we know.”_ _

__Bruce drew a deep breath, not wanting to go down this road, but if it caused Alex to open up to him and possibly reveal something that could help them with this case then he’d do it. “I’d have to agree with you on that.”_ _

__“My parents were killed in a car accident when I was a child…my sister Ava bedridden and locked inside of her mind until she died a few days ago,” Alex ventured, pausing for a long moment to swallow back the hurt before speaking again. “How do you deal with the nightmares…the pain?”_ _

__“It’s not easy,” Bruce stated, his every muscle drawn tight as he struggled not to think about the pain that occupied his chest like a gaping cavity. He suddenly wished he’d ordered a scotch instead of ginger ale. “You never escape it. It’ll always be a part of you no matter what you do or where you go. You have to try to live for them…to find a way to make them proud of you.”_ _

__“I think it’s too late to make my parents proud. Besides, I’m sure having Diana by your side helps,” Alex commented with a sad smile. “Hang on to her with all that you have, Bruce. You never know when life will try to take her away from you.”_ _

__Bruce felt his throat clench painfully as he stared at this man. How could he possibly know that he was in danger of losing her forever? It was as if all the air had just been disappeared from the room, his elder self’s words echoing in his mind all over again._ _

___“Once she dies in your arms maybe you’ll finally understand what I’ve been trying to tell you…Or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_ _ _

__“I’ve taken enough of your time,” Alex abruptly said as he stood to his feet. “Thank you for the conversation and drink.”_ _

__“Any time,” Bruce replied as he stood as well._ _

__“Good night, Bruce,” Alex told him as he turned and left._ _

__“Good night, Alex,” Bruce said, taking one last drink of his ginger ale before making his way to his suite._ _

__Unlocking the door, he silently entered their bedroom to find Diana sound asleep in the bed. He quietly closed the door before slipping his jacket off. He went into the bathroom, changing into a pair of pajama pants before returning to the bedroom._ _

__Bruce stood by the bed, watching her sleep and knowing in his heart that he couldn’t live his life without her. He pulled back the covers before slipping in beside her, his heart beginning to beat a little harder as he settled into bed against the pillows next to his princess._ _

__Diana didn’t stir as he rolled onto his side to face her, his eyes greedily drinking in every single exquisite feature. He carefully reached out a hand, gently pulling an ebony curl from her face. She murmured his name in her sleep causing his breath to hitch._ _

__What this amazing woman ever saw in him was beyond all logic and reasoning. It made absolutely no sense to him. Then again, love never did make sense to him, but he knew that Diana could teach him if he’d only let her._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are definitely heating up in more ways than one especially with Selina's unexpected appearance.
> 
> Up Next: Bruce finally gives into his feelings for Diana and John and Shayera have a chance at a new beginning. Stay tuned and thanks for reading! :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it's finally here. I felt so bad for making you guys suffer for 21 chapters so I decided to update early as a reward. Sorry it's so long, but I so hope you enjoy it and it makes all of you squee with delight and forget that Selina accepts Bruce's marriage proposal in the comics. 
> 
> Sorry to you BMCW fans out there, but my BMWW-shipping heart is shattered right now. Hope this cheers you all up! :)

Chapter 22

_**Watchtower; October 8th, 01:41 EST** _

John moved restlessly in his sleep, fighting against the nightmare that was currently holding him hostage. He was caught in a battle, forced to make a decision between saving a dying Shayera or save Vixen buried beneath the rubble. It was an impossible choice to make, knowing that he loved both of them.

No, he knew that wasn’t completely true. While he did love both of them, there was one woman that he loved more than anything in this world. That love had never died, having survived battles and an alien invasion, her absence as well as her repentant return.

It had survived so much hurt and pain that he wasn’t certain that he would survive another day with her being gone, facing another day without seeing her beautiful face or bearing witness to her fiery spirit. While Vixen had been there for him when he had needed someone the most, Shayera would forever own his heart.

He sleepily opened his eyes, surprised to find Shayera sleeping in the chair at his bedside. He had no idea how long she had been there, but he found that he was glad that she was here with him. She was like his very own guardian angel watching over him as he slept.

Her elbow rested on the armrest of the chair, her fist propping her head up. A fiery curl had fallen across her brow, partially obstructing her face. He found himself itching to brush it out of the way. He found himself wanting to do a lot more with her, but he knew now was not the time.

He’d just broken up with Vixen yesterday. It wouldn’t be right or fair to run straight to Shayera with his hurting heart. They all needed some time to process everything. Besides, just because Shayera was here sitting at his bedside didn’t mean that she still loved him or wanted to be with him. It could just be nothing more than concern for a colleague.

He longed to pull her into the medical bed with him, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He missed the feel of her skin against his, her scent lingering on his shirt as well as his sheets. He wanted her in his shower, in his bed, and in his life again regardless of his hang-ups about not wanting to be a puppet to destiny.

She was forever in his heart regardless of whoever he was with or where he was at. He realized that nothing was ever going to change that fact, not even seeing his future. There was no use fighting it or trying to rail against something that his heart dictated.

Glancing at her again, he found beautiful green eyes sleepily staring back at him. Her expression was almost bashful as if she was embarrassed to have been caught there. “I’m sorry,” she softly murmured, stiffly sitting forward in her chair. It was clear by the way that she moved that she’d been there for quite some time. “I know that you didn’t want any visitors yet. I’ll leave you alone.”

“No…wait,” he quickly replied as she began to stand to her feet. “Please stay.”

Shayera settled back in her chair, indecision written on her face. “Are you sure?”

“Yah,” he murmured, studying her and realizing all over again how beautiful she truly was. “I wouldn’t mind some company right now if you’re up to the task.”

“I can look for Mari if you’d rather,” she offered, not knowing really what to say to him. She hadn’t intended to be here when he woke up. She’d accidently fallen asleep after slipping in here to check on him earlier.

“No, Mari and I…” he began, his voice trailing off as a stab of hurt assaulted him. “We…we’re no longer together.”

Shayera did her best to disguise her surprise, but was finding it more than difficult as she stared into his dark brown eyes. “What happened?” she asked before realizing the words were out of her mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

“It’s all right,” he said with a sigh as he struggled to sit up a little in bed. “I had a feeling it was bound to happen anyway.”

“I’m sorry, John,” she replied. “I know you love her.”

“I do,” he agreed, noticing the flash of heartache that filled her eyes before just as quickly being pushed away. “I guess she realized that I love someone else even more.”

Shayera froze, afraid to believe that she had heard him right. “You do?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I never stopped loving you, Shay.”

“John, I—”

“Please, let me finish,” he interrupted her. “After you walked away from us…from me, I was devastated. It took a long time for me to get over it and I don’t think I ever totally did. Mari was there when I needed someone. I tried to love her and I do to some extent, but you have always been right here in my heart, Shay. That never changed for me.”

Shayera got up from her chair, moving to sit on the edge of his bed. She leaned in and kissed him, her hands coming to rest on either side of his head on the pillows behind him. She had feared to hope that he would still care about her, but now she knew. He still loved her even after all that they’d been through…after all she had done to hurt him.

John’s hand came up to cradle her face as he returned her kiss, relieved that she obviously still held feelings for him too. His tongue begged for more, her lips parting and accepting him in. She found herself being encased in strong arms, her mind racing with so many thoughts and feelings that made her head spin.

She leaned into him only to pull back just as quickly as John gasped sharply with the contact. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“Just very sore,” he confessed.

A soft smile graced her lips as she studied him. She gently caressed his cheek, gazing deeply into his eyes. “Just sleep,” she encouraged him. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” he asked, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

“Promise,” she confirmed, carefully kissing him once more before standing to her feet.

She adjusted his covers over him before taking her seat once more to watch over him. She couldn’t deny the sheer joy that flooded her with John’s confession and the sweet kiss they’d shared. Her fingers lightly touched her lips as she watched him quickly drift off to sleep once more. She had missed him so much, missed the feel of his lips against hers, the way their bodies fit together.

Now, he was hers once again.

_**Vanover Castle; October 8th, 07:19 GMT+1** _

Bruce awoke to the unexpected feel of a warm body pressed firmly against his side. His mind worked frantically to try to remember where he was at and who he was with. It hit him like a ton of bricks as he breathed in an all too familiar scent that always caused a flutter in his stomach. He looked down to find a raven mane fanned out over his chest.

He quickly began assessing their positions, noticing that a long toned leg was hooked over his…her left arm over his chest holding him close to her. His left arm was wrapped around her, keeping her pressed up against him. Her head rested on his chest, the slow steady rhythm of her breathing telling him she was still asleep.

First of all, he noticed how natural it felt to be lying here with her in bed, how seamlessly they fit together as if made just for each other. It felt so right in every way imaginable. Second, his body was definitely taking note of that fact, responding to her close proximity to him and the lustful thoughts it was invoking.

It didn’t help when she moaned softly in her sleep, her fingers moving to stroke his side. He stifled a groan as he tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling, trying to think of a way out of this that didn’t end with him embarrassing either of them with how he was physically responding to her.

The problem was that he didn’t want to get out of it, didn’t want to let go of her. If anything, he wanted to remove her lingerie, to roll her beneath him and show her everything that he thought about when he looked at her…what he dreamed about almost every night. He squeezed his eyes closed against those erotic images that arose in his mind, knowing it wasn’t helping the situation in the least. He was only growing more aroused by the second.

All the reasons why this wouldn’t work with her were readily thrown out the window the moment Diana began to stir again, her hand drifting lower over his abdomen towards the waistband of his sleeping pants, her breasts rubbing against his chest as she shifted. He held his breath, afraid to move as her hair tickled his skin. His every muscle was tense as he swallowed hard, his elder self’s voice echoing in his mind.

_“You have to save her…”_

_“Don’t be a stubborn fool like I was…”_

_“She loves you…”_

_“Let her in before it’s too late or risk losing her forever…”_

Bruce found himself staring into impossibly blue eyes still heavy with sleep as she rested her chin on his chest, her hair mused and sexy as ever. She gave him a sleepy smile as if this was the way they always greeted each morning—together in bed with barely any clothes on.

“Morning,” she murmured, placing her head back down on his chest.

“Morning,” he managed to choke out, his mind racing. “Um, Diana…what are you doing?”

“I believe most people call it sleeping, Bruce,” she told him, tilting her head to look at him again with a furrowed brow. “Why?”

“Using me as your pillow?” he ventured, still incredulous.

She sat up which turned out to be a huge mistake, her navy blue lingerie leaving very little to the imagination as she faced him. Her ample breasts were barely restrained by the satin and lace. It made his mouth water as he forced himself to tear his hungry gaze away from her chest to her eyes.

“You had a nightmare last night,” she informed him, running her fingers through her long mane before stretching her arms which only caused Bruce to harden almost painfully now. “Don’t you remember?”

Bruce thought for a moment, his mind working to put the pieces together while trying to tamp down on the desire that was pounding through his body now. He didn’t typically drink and last night he’d had a glass of scotch as well as three glasses of wine. It must have affected him more than he had realized. “Not really,” he admitted, worried about what he’d let slip in his sleep. He didn’t want her knowing about what was going to happen to her if he didn’t stop it.

“You were yelling my name,” she told him with a concerned expression, her hand coming to rest on his chest. “I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but it had to have been pretty bad with the way you were crying out. You kept saying you were sorry you didn’t tell me…sorry that I died.”

“I remember now,” he murmured, recalling the dream that had continually haunted his sleep for the last couple of months.

“The only way I could get you to calm down was to wrap my arms around you and hold you against me,” she explained. 

“Thank you,” he muttered, embarrassed. He never wanted her to see him like that, caught in the throes of a nightmare. It made him look weak and vulnerable and he hated it more than anything.

Sensing his embarrassment, Diana leaned over him, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “Bruce, it’s all right. I’m glad I was here for you,” she reassured him, her expression growing worried. “What were you dreaming about?”

“It’s nothing,” he insisted. “It was just a nightmare.”

“A nightmare about me,” she pressed, frowning. “You were sorry you didn’t tell me something and I died. Does this have anything to do with what happened when we went to the future? The reason you were gone from the League for so long? Is something going to happen to me that I should know about?”

He looked away from her, knowing that he couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t know about what he’d learned. “Please, Diana…I can’t talk about it.”

She sighed, sensing that he wasn’t going to tell her anymore. “I wish you’d let me be here for you. Why can’t you just let me in, Bruce?”

He finally met her probing sapphire gaze, the storm that had invaded his soul reflecting in his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re asking for, Princess,” he stated, his tone revealing his anguish.

“I’m a lot stronger than you give me credit for,” she insisted, growing angry with his refusal to talk to her. “You’re so worried about me getting hurt or dragging me into your dark world, but I’m far too stubborn for anything like that to happen.”

“You’ll only get hurt, Diana,” he angrily snapped, sitting up and forcing her to sit back on her heels. “I can’t let that happen to you no matter what I may or may not feel.”

“I’m a big girl, Bruce. I can take care of myself. Haven’t I proven that to you by now?” she countered with a scowl, poking him in the chest. “You always feel like you need to protect me, but I don’t need protecting.”

“I’m not worth the effort,” he ground out through clenched teeth. 

He was growing more frustrated the longer this argument went on, knowing all the while that he was fighting a losing battle. It didn’t help matters any that she was sitting right there beside him in that negligee that left very little to the imagination, his body reacting to her against his will.

“I think you are…far more than you know or give yourself credit for,” she insisted as her hand came to rest against his bare chest, tired of this tug of war with him. “Hera knows that I’ve tried so hard not to care so deeply for you, Bruce, but these feelings for you have only grown stronger and I’m not going to give up on you or walk away from it this time. 

“We can’t take this life we’re given for granted. You know as well as I do there’s such a fine line between life and death even for someone immortal like me. We’re here one second and gone the next. When it’s my time to go to Elysium, I don’t want to look back on my life and have any regrets especially about you.”

Her words cut him deeply, his fear skyrocketing with the nightmares that have been haunting him since learning about how he was going to lose her. “Stop talking like that,” he angrily hissed as he leaned back against the pillows, his chest beginning to heave with the panic that still gripped him. “You’re not going to die on me.”

“It’s true whether you want to hear it or not,” she pressed as she moved to straddle him, forcing him further back against the pillows as she settled on his lap and doing her best to ignore how aroused he was at that moment. She was going to get through to him whether he liked it or not. “Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean that I’ll live forever. I could go out on a mission next week and never come back. I don’t want to die without knowing what you feel for me, Bruce…without knowing your touch or feeling you inside of me.”

“Stop…just…stop,” he heatedly pleaded with her.

“What are you so scared of?” she asked. “You’re not going to lose me.”

Unable to take anymore, Bruce lurched forward, crushing his lips to hers and kissing her hard with a frantic need to silence her. He wrapped his arms firmly around her as he kissed her, swallowing back the pain that her words had created. His heart thundered in his chest as she returned his kiss with equal passion, neither of them about to stop now. 

The kiss had initially been rooted in fear and a desperate need to make her stop talking about her death, but the longer he kissed her, the more passionate it grew…his desire fully gripping him. Now, it was just pure need, lust and longing and love all tangled up in a heated encounter that had been so long in coming.

Diana was growing lightheaded with the feel of his mouth so hot and urgent against hers, his hands so warm and insistent against her skin as his hands explored her body. She knew as an Amazon she should take umbrage with the way he was manhandling and dominating her, but she couldn’t find the will to care at that moment. He was creating a hot aching need between her thighs that was begging for the attention only he could give her.

The tension in her body began to escalate, hot pleasure settling low in her pelvis as her hands roamed over the muscled expanse of his back. She wasn’t certain what she’d said that had caused him to react like this, to finally give in to what they both wanted, but the ability to form coherent thoughts was rapidly growing more difficult. Right now, she just wanted him…all of him.

Diana’s lips parted slightly, Bruce taking full advantage as his tongue invaded the warm cavern. She moaned with the sensual slide of his tongue against hers that steadily heated her blood. She tilted her head to further deepen the kiss, knowing she needed more of him in that moment, but not quite sure how to get it.

Bruce knew in that moment that there was no going back, no stopping something that had been put in motion long ago. There was no reining in the desire and need that had been denied for far too long, but he knew that he needed to slow things down a bit. He wanted to enjoy every second of making love to her, making her first time something that she’d never forget. With any luck, he’d be her first and her last lover.

He slowly ran his hands over her smooth thighs, his fingers finding the hem of her lingerie. He gradually began to lift it, giving her a chance to stop him if she decided she didn’t want him…didn’t want this. He silently begged her not to stop him. He wasn’t sure he could handle it if she pushed him away now. 

He wanted her more than his next breath as he gazed deeply into her eyes, both breathing heavily as they stared at one another. There was a fierce storm of emotions blazing in both of their eyes, so many feelings being relayed though not with words…not yet. Right now, this intimate expression would be enough.

Diana slowly raised her arms above her head as she stared deeply into his azure eyes, allowing him to remove her negligee and letting him know she wanted him just as much. Heart racing, he tossed it onto the floor, a swiftly forgotten scrap of satin and lace as his eyes and hands feasted on what he’d hungered for longer than he could begin to remember.

His hands found her breasts, teasing and massaging them until she was panting heavily. He continued to make a slow exploration of her body—tips of fingers trailing along ribs, hungry eyes roaming over breasts and abdomen, warm breath pulsating against bronzed skin as he reverently worshiped her. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, completely taken aback by how utterly breathtaking she truly was.

Diana smiled softly down at him as she straddled his lap, her heart growing warmer with the way that he was gazing up at her as if she was a priceless work of art. No man ever looked at her quite the way that he always did. It made her feel so cherished, so beautiful and appreciated.

Bruce leaned in, his lips hot against her jaw as she tilted her head back, slow tortuous kisses planted unhurriedly against the column of her throat and along her collarbone. Her raven hair spilled further down her back and tickled his groin, a panting moan slipping past her lips as his mouth found her breast. 

Her fingers moved to grip the back of his head, holding him against her chest as his hands curled around to her back to hold her where he wanted her. His thumbs massaged the sides of her breasts as he raked his teeth over her sensitive skin, eliciting a continuous string of whimpers and moans from her.

Unable to bear it a moment longer, Diana’s hands gripped his face, pulling him up and claiming his lips in a heated kiss as she forced him back against the pillows. Her long hair created an ebony veil around them, creating their own private sanctuary as she kissed him breathless. Her entire body was pressed against the length of his, savoring the feel of the new sensations shooting through her body. 

Bruce groaned as she slowly began kissing her way over his chest and down his rippled abdomen, soft lips and tongue caressing scars as fingers caressed his skin. Flipping her hair back out of her face, she looked up at him with a wicked grin as her fingers slowly pulled the strings of his sleeping pants before hooking her fingers in the waistband. She carefully began slipping them down his hips, taking her time to divest him of the only thing that kept them from being skin against skin.

He swallowed hard as she gazed up the length of his body at him with eyes ablaze with lust and longing for him and him alone. She pulled her raven hair back over her shoulder before dipping her head and kissing along his shin and up his inner thigh, receiving a throaty growl in response to her sensual teasing. He tunneled his fingers in her thick hair, holding on to her as she began placing gentle kisses along his hard arousal.

She turned her head, lightly nipping at his inner thigh causing Bruce to hiss, his body beginning to tremble with the tight restraint that he was clinging to with everything he had left. He wanted to make sure this lasted for as long as humanly possible, but she was making it next to impossible. For a naïve virgin, she was incredibly skilled when it came to seduction and what drove a man crazy. Of course, being blessed by Aphrodite had its benefits and he was most definitely reaping the benefits of it.

Diana kissed him once more before beginning the trek back up his body, the tickle of her hair against his skin causing him to shiver involuntarily. She trailed hot, wet kisses along his abdomen and chest, pausing to place a kiss over his heart that was pounding against his chest wall before finally claiming his lips once more. 

Bruce abruptly sat up, his arms wrapping around her and rolling her onto her back and under him as he kissed her with a sweet desperation that she felt clear to her toes. He fully settled his weight over her, his legs tangling with hers as he kissed her senseless with a wanton need so fierce it could no longer be held back.

She stroked his sides before moving to lightly drag her fingernails along his back, greedily exploring every part of him and imprinting it into her memory. He moved to kiss her cheek and jaw before feasting on her neck as he kneaded her breast once more, knowing now how much it excited her.

Diana tilted her head to the side, offering every bit of herself to him as he devoured her. His lips caressed the soft expansive of smooth skin, his teeth lightly raking over it before moving to her collarbone. His one hand continued to squeeze and massage her breast as his other hand skimmed over her taut abdomen, a destination firmly in mind.

She arched her back as his fingers found her hot center. He groaned with how ready she was for him, her desire and the heat of her against his fingers letting him know how desperately she wanted him too. It made his head spin with an almost overwhelming sense of euphoria that quickly settled into his groin.

Diana spread her legs further for him, offering every bit of herself to him as he stroked her at a excruciatingly slow pace. “Bruce…” she gasped his name, the new experience nearly overwhelming her senses and yet she wanted so much more of him.

He kissed along her throat and the sensitive spot behind her ear as his fingers slipped inside of her, causing her body to momentarily tense with the intrusion. His fingers continued to pleasure her as his mouth moved to capture hers once more, his tongue mimicking the movement of his hand.

Diana felt a thrilling tremble of something that she could only equate with lightning begin to shoot through her entire body as she came with a cry of his name. Tears blurred her vision as he kissed her again, his fingers threading through her thick hair as he tried to calm her down from her release.

He brushed kisses along her brow, her nose, her cheekbone before finding her ear. “You’re all mine now, Princess,” he whispered.

He lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. The tears he found shining there scared him for a moment, his fingers moving to capture a drop that had escaped against her will. “Are you all right?”

She nodded her head, finding it difficult to speak at that moment. “It was just…so much better than I dreamed it would be.”

He kissed her gently…tenderly as his fingers wrapped around his member, guiding him to her opening. “We don’t have to do this, Diana,” he managed to utter, his body near trembling with an overpowering need to have her.

“If you don’t take me right now, Bruce Wayne, I swear to Hera…” she breathlessly replied as she wrapped her long legs around his waist, her voice trailing off with a strangled cry with the feel of him pushing against her entrance.

Grinning, he braced himself on an elbow before gently pushing the head of his member inside of her. His other arm coming down to brace himself above her as his eyes locked with hers. He didn’t want to miss one second of this connection with her, didn’t want to miss how it made her feel to know he was the one inside of her.

It didn’t escape his notice in the least that she was giving him something that no man ever had before this moment, trusting him with her heart as well as her body. He swore he’d never do anything to destroy that trust she so readily placed in him.

He slowly pushed himself deeper within her, Diana squeezing her eyes closed against the sharp pain that tore through her like a knife’s blade. It momentarily stole her breath, causing her entire body to tense. Bruce captured her lips again as he completed their union, burying himself completely.

He found it difficult to breath, his hips twitching in anticipation of what was about to come, but he railed against it. He didn’t want to hurt her, wanting to give her the time need to grow accustomed to the feel of him completely filling her like this. Her fingernails pressed into his shoulders as she clenched her inner walls around him.

Bruce hissed with the feel of her so hot and tight around him. He was nearly delirious with need, his body begging to be sated. Unable to hold back any longer, he began to pull out only to push right back inside, a gasping moan being driven from her lungs with the pleasure that spiked through her with his movement. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, her entire body pleading for so much more of him.

She drew her legs further up his body, her knees pressing against his ribs. Her every gasping whimper and moan was seared into his memory as he leisurely moved over her, gradually reaching deeper and deeper inside of her with every thrust of his hips. Her panting breaths mingled with his as he sought out her lips once more, kissing her roughly as they surrendered all that they had to one another.

“Bruce…” she throatily called his name, causing him to groan in response. He loved the way she said his name, only ever wanting to hear his name like this on her lips.

All the pent up desire and longing, the frustration of wanting and not having was being poured into every move, every touch, every kiss…every whispered promise. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he made love to her, his hand grasping her leg and pushing her knee to her chest.

His name was a whispered mantra as sweat trickled down her neck and along his spine, both straining towards release and yet neither of them wanting this to end. He laced his fingers with her, pinning her hands on either side of her head on the pillow. He lifted his head to stare deeply into her eyes, his breath catching in his chest with the passion he found reflected there. He wanted to watch her as she came, to witness the climax of the intense storm that was consuming them both body and soul.

Unable to hold back any longer, he increased his rhythm, the entire bed rocking with the passionate movement of their joined bodies. Diana kissed along his jaw, nipping at his ear as she pulled free from his hold on her. She gripped his shoulder with one hand, the fingers of her other curling into the sheets beneath her in an attempt to hold on in the midst of the intense storm building inside of her and set to erupt at any moment.

She threw her head back with a gasping hiss of pleasure as he found that secret spot deep inside of her that suddenly had her writhing and panting heavily. She instinctively wrapped her legs fully around his waist to allow him to completely ride her, taking her to that sweet precipice that awaited them both. 

Knowing he wasn’t going to be able to last much longer, Bruce reached down between them, finding the spot where they were joined. He began stroking her, pushing her over that edge. She cried out his name, taking him over that blissful edge with her. Locked in the throes of passion, she milked him for everything he had, Bruce collapsing weakly on top of her.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her and savoring the feel of his weight on top of her. He rolled to the side, bringing her with him and keeping himself fully buried inside of her. He stared into her eyes as he brushed a raven curl from her face, knowing with every fiber of his being that he would never love another.

She owned his heart and, as he gazed into her eyes, he realized that he owned hers as well.

**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 09:02 GMT+1_ **

Alex entered the sun room for breakfast, more than anxious to get started with his day. After talking with Bruce Wayne last night, he’d realized just how in love he was in Diana. He’d already seen that love in Diana’s eyes every time she looked at Bruce, but now he knew for certain that Bruce felt the same way.

It made him feel a little better knowing that Bruce wasn’t going to hurt her, tossing her aside like the other women he’d been rumored to have dated. While he was saddened by the fact that there was no hope for him with Diana, he was relieved to know that she would be treated well.

Now, he needed to focus on his real reason for being here. Today was the day that they were finally able to examine the items coming up for auction tomorrow. He knew the list of items that he’d been sent with the invitation barely scratched the surface of all that would be auctioned off tomorrow. He could hardly wait to get his hands on what he’d actually come for.

After tomorrow tonight, he’d no longer be a thief, ending his career without ever being caught. While he was feeling a little melancholy about his decision, he knew it was for the best. It was time for him to retire, to move on to an honest career that his parents would be proud of.

Ava was gone now. It was just him and Annaliesa. Of course, there was Christopher and a couple of other friends like Ewan, but, as far as family went, he was all that was left of the House of Bristow. It caused his throat to tighten painfully, forcing him to push aside thoughts of Ava.

Filling his plate, Alex began to look for a place to sit, hoping to find Bruce and Diana here this morning. Unfortunately, it appeared that they weren’t up yet. He could hardly blame them. He’d kept Bruce up late last night. He was sure they wanted to spend some time alone this morning.

“Care to share a table?”

Alex turned at the sound of the sultry voice, stunned to find a beautiful woman standing there behind him. A smile slowly spread across his face as he appraised her. “I’d like that,” he agreed, leading her to a small table in the corner. “I believe I saw you here last night. I’m Alex Bristow.”

“Selina Kyle,” she introduced herself. “I just arrived before the party last night.”

“Selina Kyle,” he thoughtfully repeated her name, knowing he’d heard that name before. It suddenly clicked in his head. She was the supposedly reformed thief known as Catwoman. It greatly intrigued him to find another thief here amongst the guests.

“Yes,” she confirmed, watching as recognition lit his eyes. “I’m from Gotham.”

“Ah, so you know Bruce Wayne,” he said.

“Yes…intimately in fact,” she told him without reservation. “He’s an old flame of mine.”

Alex detected an underlying bitterness to her tone, but didn’t press it. “So what is it that you do, Selina?”

“I’m an animal rights activist,” she revealed, pausing to take a sip of her coffee. “I also dabble in jewels.”

“Really? Sounds interesting.” He couldn’t help wondering if they were here for the same items.

“It’s a hobby of mine,” she cryptically replied with a Cheshire grin.

“Do you have a favorite that you lean towards?” 

“Anything that sparkles usually catches my eye,” she told him. “What is that you do, Alex?”

“I’m an antiques dealer,” he informed her. “I have several buyers that I’m here to acquire items for. I actually just returned from the States. I was procuring several items there for some clients.”

“Where were you?”

“I was actually in Gotham,” he revealed. “I attended the Egyptian unveiling at the Gotham Museum.”

“So you were present when the thief stole some of the Egyptian artifacts,” she said. “I was there too. We probably passed each other.”

“I’m sure I would’ve remembered seeing a woman as beautiful as you,” he flirted with practiced charm.

Selina smiled in response to his compliment. He definitely had a charm about him that reminded her of Bruce, but there was also something more about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. There was far more to this man than what he was letting on. He had an ulterior motive of some sort. She was almost certain of it.

“I don’t know. There were quite a few people there that night including Wonder Woman,” she reminded him.

“I got to dance briefly with her,” he told her.

“Only briefly?”

“We were interrupted by your old flame Bruce Wayne.”

Selina grew tense, remembering that moment all too well. She’d been trying to make Diana jealous by kissing Bruce, but it obviously hadn’t affected either one of them. “He has a tendency to always seek out the most beautiful women in the room,” she replied. “Bad habit of his.”

As they talked, neither of them noticed a certain couple entering hand-in-hand, both happier than they’d ever been. Bruce could hardly believe how much his life had changed this morning by giving in to what he’d wanted for so long. It felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart and mind as he had let his walls down and given himself to her. The doubts and fears that he’d had still lingered beneath the surface, but they weren’t as loud or as oppressive as they had once been.

He felt like his life was complete for the first time since losing his parents, his future finally something that he could look forward to for once. It would definitely take some time and they would have obstacles in their path, but he was ready to face it all with her by his side.

Getting their plates, they found a table off to the side. It had been more than difficult to leave their bed in their suite, but they knew that they needed to focus on finding their thief. They couldn’t allow the newfound change to their relationship affect their undercover mission.

“Things are definitely going to be different from now on,” he tentatively said. “We’re going to have to decide how we’re going to go about this moving forward.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re not going to want to make our relationship public,” she ventured. “I think that maybe Diana Prince should stick around after this weekend…don’t you?”

Bruce looked up at her, somewhat taken aback by her response. “You’d be willing to do that?”

“Of course,” she replied with a frown. “It’s the most logical solution.”

“Yes, but I know how much you hate the idea of having a secret identity,” he pointed out. “Truth and honesty is very important to you.”

“Yes, but so is protecting the people that I care most about,” she told him. “If that’s what it takes for us to be together then I’m more than willing to do it.”

Bruce found himself thinking back to what he’d told Selina about not believing in the notion of soul mates. He found Diana challenging that very notion. The problem was that the powerful desire to lose himself in her vied with his just as powerful commitment to his mission in Gotham. 

He knew that he loved her, but did he have it in him to truly love her like she deserved. Was he even capable of something so profound, love able to sprout from the countless cracks and crevices of a fractured heart that was far beyond repair?

Bruce leaned over and kissed her deeply, his hand cupping her cheek. “Thank you,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her once more before retreating.

“So does this mean Wonder Woman can openly pursue Batman?” she teased, her lips curling into a smirk.

He thought for a moment as he took a bite of toast. “I don’t know,” he thoughtfully replied. “I kind of always saw Batman having a thing for Fire or Ice…maybe Black Canary.”

The look of pure jealousy that burned like fire in her eyes was almost enough to make him audibly gulp. “You are not serious,” she ground out. “Do you realize how many bets are currently running on the Watchtower about the two of us?”

“There are currently six different betting pools ranging from when we finally sleep together to when you get angry enough to throw me out of the nearest airlock,” he revealed. “And to answer your question, I definitely think Wonder Woman should move into Batman’s quarters.”

“Or you could move into mine,” she decided.

“You could also move into the manor,” he tentatively ventured, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction. He didn’t want to push her or force their relationship to move too fast, but he had ignored these feelings for her for far too long. He didn’t want to wait any longer when it came to her.

“Sweet Aphrodite,” she murmured with a gasp.

“What is it?” he asked with a frown, fearing that she didn’t want to live with him. “You don’t have to move in with me yet if you aren’t ready to.”

“Look who Selina is with,” she said, nodding towards the far corner.

Bruce cursed under his breath as he spotted the couple, wondering what Selina was up to now. “That is definitely not a good thing,” he growled under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, Bruce & Diana are together, but will it last once Diana finds out that Bruce is keeping a secret from her? Also, what is Selina doing with Alex? Could there be a joint heist in the making?
> 
> Up Next: Bruce confronts Selina while Diana does some digging and finds out some things about Alex.
> 
> Thanks all for reading! :)


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**_Gotham; October 8th, 03:10 EST_ **

Nightwing stood on top of Wayne Enterprises, inspecting the city below. He still couldn’t believe that Bruce had left them to take care of Gotham for four straight days and nights while he was out of the country working on another case.

Bruce had said that he’d had no choice but to go in order to stop this thief he’d been chasing for weeks now, but Dick knew there was far more to it than that. It surrounded a certain Princess of the Amazons who had managed to capture his attention since the moment she had first arrived. Bruce may never admit it to anyone, but she was definitely part of his decision to go even if it might be a subconscious one.

He hoped that Bruce finally let go of his fears and doubts and let Diana in once and for all. He knew that she was the best thing that could have ever happened to him if he’d just let himself find happiness and peace for once in his life. Diana was the only one who could ever bring that to him.

Of course, trying to get Bruce to see that was almost next to impossible.

Nightwing turned his head slightly to the side, aware of another’s presence long before he landed on the rooftop. He turned his attention back to the streets below, waiting for him to draw near. They had a problem on their hands, but he was not about to let Bruce know about it. Besides, they were more than capable of handling the Riddler.

“Well, he’s not at his usual hideouts,” Robin informed him as he came to stand beside him along the ledge of the roof. “It looks like he hasn’t been there in months.”

“We need to find him soon,” Nightwing replied. “You know Bruce will know about Riddler’s escape from Arkham by morning and I do not want him coming home early for any reason.”

“Why?” Tim asked. “Why is he in England anyway?”

“It’s not so much why he’s there, but who he is with and what they might be doing there together.”

Robin thought about it for a moment, his teenaged brain finally coming up the answer. “Yah, but it’s just Wonder—oh, I get it now,” he said, a huge grin spreading across his face. “They’re doing—”

“We hope,” Nightwing swiftly interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. “Heaven knows if anyone can get through his walls it’s definitely Diana. She’s too stubborn to give up on him.”

“Well, if we want to keep him in England, we might need to call in reinforcements to find Riddler,” Robin suggested. “You know as well as I do that Riddler is about the slipperiest villain to try to track down.”

“The three of us can find him,” Nightwing decided. “We’ll just have to work fast if we want to keep Bruce from returning ahead of schedule. The more time he spends with Diana the better her chances of finally winning him over.”

“I don’t know how he could resist her for so long,” Robin muttered, trying to figure out something that made absolutely no sense to him. “I mean she is so hot not to mention like the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“I know, but you know how Bruce is,” Dick replied. “He’s so afraid of letting anyone get close to him for fear they’ll get hurt.”

“I know, but still…this is freakin’ Wonder Woman we’re talking about,” Robin countered. “She can take on Superman. I doubt any of Gotham’s worst could ever take her.”

Nightwing shook his head in amazement. A fourteen year old boy could figure it out, but a thirty-six year old man couldn’t. Of course, Bruce and his countless issues made things more than difficult for him to handle his emotions and the perceived difficulties of a relationship.

“Batman to Nightwing.”

“Speak of the devil,” Nightwing muttered under his breath before answering his commlink. “This is Nightwing. What’s up, Bats?”

“Where’s Riddler?”

Nightwing released a frustrated growl. “Don’t worry about it. We’re working on finding him.”

“Have you checked his usual spots?”

“It was the first thing we did,” Nightwing reassured him. “How’s it going in England?”

There was a long pause before Bruce finally answered. “Better than I had anticipated,” he cryptically replied.

There was an unexpected lightness to his tone that was never heard in the gravelly rasp of the Batman. The corners of Nightwing’s lips curled with sudden realization. He knew better than to say too much about it for fear of ruining the moment for Diana by darkening Bruce’s mood and causing him to shut down. He couldn’t wait to talk to Donna, though.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Dick evenly stated, trying to keep his own happiness about this unexpected development out of his voice. “How’s Diana?”

“Good…she’s taking a shower right now,” he said.

“I’m glad that you’re not ignoring her,” Dick told him, wondering why Bruce was talking to him instead of joining Diana in the shower. This man had to get his priorities right or he was going to screw this up royally. “You should be paying attention to her, not Gotham. You know you could help her scrub her back.”

“Don’t worry; I’ve been giving her my full attention,” Bruce responded, his voice tight. “What are you doing to find the Riddler? Has he caused any trouble yet?”

“Not yet, but we’ve got it handled,” Nightwing replied. “You just focus on Diana and catching your thief. We’ve got Gotham covered. There’s no need to come back early.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Bruce stated. “There’s too much going on here now for me to leave.”

Nightwing smirked, unable to hold back a response now even if he wanted to. “And what exactly would that be?” he impishly asked. “Could it involve a certain Amazon princess?”

“I don’t believe that is any of your business, but she is part of the reason,” he curtly replied. “I want to be notified immediately if Riddler starts making trouble.”

“Just let us worry about him,” Nightwing responded with growing exasperation. “You need to focus on Diana.”

“I need to find the thief before he strikes again,” Batman reminded him, his voice all Batman.

“Just don’t screw things up with Diana,” he warned him. “If you hurt her, you won’t just have the Amazon nation reigning hell on you, but most of the League as well as her sister Donna.”

A low growl of irritation preceded any sort of verbal reply by the billionaire. “I don’t plan on it,” he growled. “She means too much to me now to ever lose her.”

“I’ll remind you of that when you start freaking out about the decision you made to try to let her into your life,” he told him.

“I won’t freak out,” Bruce snapped. “Is there anything else that I need to know about?”

“No, it’s been pretty quiet for the most part,” Dick informed him. “You did a pretty good job of cleaning things up before you left town.”

“Let me know if anything else happens,” he instructed him. “Batman out.”

Nightwing sighed heavily as he turned to look at Robin who was waiting expectantly beside him. “So?” he asked. “What did he have to say? What happened with him and Diana?”

“He…uh, they’re good,” Dick replied. “They’re together now I think. He didn’t really come out and say it, but I think we can expect to see Diana spending a lot more time at the manor from now on.”

“Unless he screws up,” Robin said with a frown. “You know how moody he can be. Hopefully, Diana can take it.”

“If anyone can handle him, it’s her,” Nightwing reassured him.

“Batgirl to Nightwing.”

“Where you at, Batgirl?”

“Gotham Village,” she informed him. “I think I’ve got a Riddler sighting.”

“We’re on our way,” Dick replied. “Nightwing out.”

“Meet you there,” Robin told him, firing his grappling gun before taking off.

Nightwing swiftly made his way to the waiting Batmobile, more than anxious to talk to Donna as soon as patrol was over. She was not going to believe what he had learned tonight. He just hoped that Bruce didn’t change his mind about Diana now because there was going to be a line ten miles long just to beat some sense into him.

_**Vanover Castle; October 8th, 10:21 GMT+1** _

Selina wandered through the expansive castle on her way back to her room, admiring the countless pieces of artwork on display along the way. This place was like an enormous museum, holding more treasures than she had ever dreamed possible for one man to possess. Better yet, this wasn’t even the tip of the proverbial iceberg that was going up for auction.

She had learned about the estate auction when she’d been in the Batcave to see Bruce. She’d spied his invitation and had done some investigating of her own to find out what was going up for auction. Finagling an invitation had been rather simple. She’d found out who had been invited, discovering that she was friends with someone who knew one of the couples that had been invited. A couple of phone calls later and she had her own personal invitation.

She’d been a little taken aback when she’d first seen Bruce here last night, not expecting him to actually leave Gotham unattended for four days straight. She had quickly determined that something big was going to be going down here or Bruce would never have left his beloved city under someone else’s care. She was pretty certain it must be the thief from the Gotham Museum that had led the Dark Knight here.

The thing that had startled her the most had been the unexpected appearance of Wonder Woman. Though in disguise, it wasn’t that difficult to figure out it was none other than the Amazon princess. There was only one woman who completely turned Bruce’s head now, putting that look of adoration and wonderment in his eye and that was Diana.  
While she knew that Bruce was attracted to her and cared for her on some level, his feelings never seemed to run any deeper than that, staying superficial and leaning more towards the physical side than an emotional attachment. She had always overlooked that particular aspect of their relationship, chalking it up to their mutual broken childhoods and believing that Bruce was just incapable of giving more on an emotional level.

Now, though, she was going to have to accept the fact that Bruce and Diana were romantically involved. It had actually blindsided her, especially knowing how Bruce felt about relationships. He believed that they only got in the way of his mission to protect Gotham. There was also his inability to make a commitment on top of his countless issues, afraid of letting others get close to him for fear they’ll be hurt or that he will.

That was one of the reasons they had worked so well together. They were both damaged, broken goods enduring traumatic childhoods and taking darker paths in life. They understood each other like no one else possibly could. They’d always kept things casual, an occasional hookup on a rooftop, but she’d assumed they’d eventually end up together someday. Now, she realized that was never going to happen.

Bruce had moved on with someone else…someone that he could never begin to make happy. Diana was too perfect, too pure of heart and far too naïve to fully understand him and the true depths of the darkness that consumed his soul. That would never change—not even sleeping with an Amazon princess could heal him.

She smirked to herself as she paused to inspect a Ming vase. Bruce and Diana were never going to last. The innocent princess would eventually be driven away by his dark mood swings, his depressing brooding and his incessant need to put Gotham before anyone else in his life. When there was a case to solve, it consumed him to the exclusion of everyone. It caused him to become even more of a recluse and obsessed to a fault.

Selina didn’t know if she was going to be around this time to put him back together when he finally came crawling back to her, carrying what was left of his shattered heart. She didn’t appreciate being scorned like this, thrown aside for him to chase after another woman…especially her.

She had her pride after all. 

She would definitely miss their hook-ups on the rooftops of Gotham, having sex high above the city as if they were lost in their own little world. It was always so thrilling how they would take turns pleasuring each other, knowing that tomorrow he might catch her during a heist. It was like their own private game of foreplay in a way.

“What are you doing here, Selina?”

The low, growling scrape of his voice against her ear sent a shiver of lust racing up her spine, causing her to instantly freeze. She silently cursed herself for not paying better attention about her surroundings, allowing him to get the jump on her like this. She didn’t want to, but she found herself still wanting Bruce Wayne and she wasn’t about to give him up so easily.

Schooling her features, Selina turned to face him, her lips stretching into a seductive smile. “Why, Bruce, you really do care about me,” she purred, reaching out to drag a single red fingernail along his chiseled jaw line. “It’s nice of you to take notice of me what with that hideous wench in your bed.”

Bruce bristled with her insult, but he let it slide. He wasn’t here to trade barbs with her. Even though he was in love with Diana, Selina would always hold a special place in his heart. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. She’d been there for him when he’d needed someone over the years and he’d never forget that.

“Don’t drag Diana into this, Selina,” he replied with a heavy sigh, drawing closer to her in order to keep their conversation as private as possible with the number of people roaming around the ancient castle. “I want to know what you’re doing here.”

“The same as you I imagine,” she said, disappointed that she hadn’t gotten more of a rise out of him. “Just hoping to snatch up a few items at the auction.”

“Selina, I’m not in the mood to play games,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Besides, I know your idea of snatching up items.”

She smirked in response, reaching out to adjust the collar of his shirt before allowing her hand to come to rest against his muscular chest. “Well then, I guess your precious little princess isn’t doing something right for you in the bedroom if you’re still this uptight and tense. Maybe you need to come back to my bed instead. I’m sure I can do far more for you than she ever could.”

“Stop it,” he snapped. “I don’t have time to keep an eye on you and catch this thief.”

“So he is here,” she drawled with excitement, glancing around. “Do you have any idea who it is yet?”

“I have my suspicions,” he confessed.

“Care to share?”

“Not really,” he snorted in annoyance. “Just watch yourself, Selina. I don’t want to have to bring you in too.”

Her green eyes narrowed, angered by his threat. “I do have a real life that I lead during the day. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I’m here for legitimate business, Bruce?”

“No,” he bluntly stated, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at her. “What were you doing with Alex Bristow?”

Selina leaned in close, her lips a breath away from his. “Are you jealous? Do you still dream of me in your bed…call out my name when you’re having sex with that Amazon whore?”

“No,” he firmly told her, not falling for her tricks. “You’re free to see whoever you want, Selina. I want you to be happy, but it will never be with me. We’re not good for each other and you know it. We keep each other locked in our pasts. It’s time for both us to move on.”

Her posture relaxed somewhat as she studied him, noticing the slight softening around his eyes. He was being truthful with her. “Are you happy, Bruce?” she ventured.

“Yes…for the first time in my life I truly am happy,” he solemnly told her as he thought about the morning he spent with Diana in his arms making love.

The spark that lit up his eyes as he thought about Diana was like a punch to her gut, stealing all the air. “I’d say that I’m happy for you, but I’d be lying,” she admitted with a sneer. “I think you’re making a huge mistake with her, Bruce. She can’t possibly know or understand you like I do. Your demons will end up driving her away and this time I’m not going to be there to pick up the pieces of what’s left of your heart when she leaves you because you’ve driven her away.”

Bruce’s jaw clenched tightly as he watched her storm away, his teeth grinding together as her words repeated like a taunting mantra through his mind. He couldn’t help the unexpected dread that caused his stomach to twist into knots. Was Selina right? Would he end up driving Diana away, losing her just like everyone else that had ever meant anything to him?

He could feel those doubts rising once more, attempting to steal the happiness that he felt after being with Diana. It had been amazing beyond his best fantasies, creating a sense of peace within him that no one else had ever been able to accomplish. 

When he was with Diana, he felt safe…loved and valued by her, far more than with any other woman. She truly cared about him—the real Bruce Wayne…whoever that man was anymore. Even though the words weren’t spoken, he had seen it in her eyes, felt it in the way she kissed him and had made love with him. Diana loved him. She wasn’t with him to use him or see what she could get from him like Selina or Talia. She was with him because she wanted to be near him, to love him and be loved by him.

While it had been difficult letting his walls down for her, he was so relieved that he had given in to his heart for once. He’d stopped fighting against his need and desire for her and because of that he was finally with the woman he’d been dreaming of being with longer than he cared to admit.

He wasn’t quite ready to say those three little words yet; afraid that once he did life would somehow manage to still take her away from him. For the time being, he was just going to enjoy having her in his arms and in his bed, beyond relieved that she was finally safe from whatever it was that was going to steal her life.

His elder self’s pain-filled future would no longer be a reality for either of him now, the bitter old man he’d met no longer existing at least in this dimension. Diana was all his; she was safe with him and he’d be damned if he let anyone try to take that away from him.

It would definitely change everything for both of them, neither of their lives ever the same. It meant changes in their personal lives as well as within the League. He could only imagine how well Clark was going to handle this. While Clark was their best friend, he couldn’t help wondering how the Kryptonian was going to feel about being the odd man out of the proclaimed trinity.

While he knew that Clark was in love with Lois, he always felt there was a small part of his heart that always belonged to Diana. Bruce’s jealousy attempted to rear its ugly head, but he squashed it down. Diana had given herself to him this morning, not Clark and not some other man. If he didn’t screw this up, he’d be the last man that she’d ever kiss or make love with.

Making his way down the hallway, Bruce’s thoughts began to take him down a different path. While he was more than thrilled with the recent turn of events in his relationship with Diana, he had to focus on the real reason they were came to England.

Right now, he had someone that he needed to track down in order to get some information from.

**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 10:36 GMT+1_ **

Entering the library, Diana spotted the man she’d been looking everywhere for sitting in a quiet corner on the far side of the room. He was sitting all alone working on his laptop, clearly deeply engrossed in whatever he was doing at that moment.

She made her way to him, silently praying to Athena that this went well. She wasn’t nearly the detective that Bruce was, able to get a wealth of information with one simple question. He seemed almost able to look right into the heart and mind of a man and figure out all of his secrets.

Unfortunately, that gift of his didn’t seem to carry over into dealing with romantic feelings. When it came to personal matters concerning his heart, he was as blind as a bat. Thankfully, he had finally decided to surrender his heart as well as his body to her this morning.

Looking up from his laptop, he gave her a wary once over as she approached, Diana smiling warmly at him as she came to a stop beside his table. “Care if I join you?” she asked.

“I…I guess not,” he suspiciously replied as he eyed her.

Diana pulled the chair out opposite him at the table, sitting down as he abruptly closed his laptop. “I’m Diana Prince,” she introduced herself, holding out her hand to him. “Aren’t you Ewan Hale?”

“Yes, I am,” he reluctantly confirmed with a small frown as he adjusted his glasses, shaking her hand. “Have we met before?”

“No, but I hear you’re a curator at the British Museum,” she replied. While she detested lying, she knew that she was doing it out of necessity to stop the thief.

“Yes, I am,” he stated. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m an expert on Greek artifacts,” she revealed. “When I heard that you were here from the British Museum, I was anxious to meet with you. I hear that you have a special interest in Greek history and antiquities as well.”

Ewan seemed to visibly relax somewhat with her explanation, but still appeared somewhat uncomfortable and guarded. “Actually, I do,” he confirmed. “My mother was Greek; moving to England was she was a young girl. I developed a love for the Greek culture and its history because of her.”

“I am Greek as well,” Diana replied.

Any lingering apprehension completely dissolved with her revelation, Ewan finding a kindred spirit of sorts. He leaned forward in his chair, his forearms coming to rest on top of his closed laptop. “So where did you study?”

“The Athens School of Fine Arts,” she informed him. “It was a tremendous experience.”

“Magnificent,” he said with great enthusiasm, his expression almost dreamy. “I’ve always dreamed of visiting Athens, but, alas, I’m afraid I have been unable to get away from my work to make that dream a reality as of yet.”

“You really must visit,” she encouraged him. “There is nowhere in the world quite like it.”

“Hopefully, someday I will be able to make the trip,” he said with a sigh.

“So what brings you here this weekend?” she asked, hooking a fiery red curl behind her ear. “Are you interested in procuring items for the museum or is your interest purely personal?”

“Honestly, it’s a little of both,” he conspiratorially divulged. “While I’m here mostly on behalf of the museum, there are some Greek artifacts that I’m dying to get my hands on for my own personal collection.”

His words momentarily gave Diana pause, wondering just how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted this weekend. “What specific items are you interested in?”

A gleam filled Ewan’s eyes as he began to think about it, a smile curling his lips. “Anything related to Greek military—shields, swords, daggers, helmets,” he told her. “That is where the majority of my interests lie, but I also collect coins.” 

Diana could see that Ewan was obviously telling her the truth as he went into great detail about his coin collection. His enthusiasm as he spoke of his interest was unmistakable if not somewhat contagious. “I have seen my fair share of military weapons and coins,” she remarked, relieved to at last be speaking the truth. 

Ewan just didn’t know how true those words actually were. If only he knew that the swords and shields she had seen and possessed had been fashioned by the god Hephaestus himself thousands of years ago. If he did know, poor Ewan might just keel over.

He was a thin man, almost nervous in nature when around others…especially women, but getting him alone like this seemed to bring him out of his shell. Talking about a topic that he clearly adored and possessed a wealth of knowledge about seemed to help to ease his social anxiety dramatically. He seemed to have forgotten the fact that she was a woman.

“So do you know anyone else here this weekend?” she ventured, hoping that he didn’t steal back inside of his shell again.

“As a matter of fact…yes,” he readily volunteered with a nod. “I know Alex Bristow. He has donated a few pieces of art and antiquities to the British Museum over the years.”

“I’ve been talking to Alex quite a bit myself,” she revealed. “He seems very nice. He definitely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to antiques.”

“Our families ran in the same circles for years,” he told her. “My father ran the British Museum and his father used to run the Museum of London before his untimely death.”

Diana’s expression grew somber. “What happened to his father?”

“His parents were killed in a motor vehicle accident about twenty-five years ago,” he told her. “His twin sister Ava was nearly killed too, but managed to somehow survive. She’s been nothing but an empty shell ever since then. Alex did everything he could for her…gave her the best medical care that money could buy, but she never recovered. In fact, she just passed away last week. He’s the only living member of his family now.

“This weekend is the first that I’ve actually seen him in quite some time. He’s pretty much isolated himself over the years since losing his parents and of course with caring for his bed-ridden sister. It’s definitely taken quite a toll on him.”

“That’s so tragic,” she murmured, stunned by the revelation. She found her heart hurting for Alex, an unexpected sense of understanding washing through her.

She had a new insight into the mysterious Alex Bristow; several questions that meeting him had created in her mind were now answered. There was something about him that had reminded her so much of Bruce and now she felt she finally understood why. They had both shared a very traumatic childhood, one that had affected them deeply and caused both of them to isolate themselves to some extent from the world around them.

She began to wonder just how Alex’s childhood had shaped his future. With Bruce, he had channeled his rage and bitterness into becoming the Batman in hopes of saving his beloved city. She began to wonder now how Alex had channeled his pain. Could it have led him to a life of crime?

**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 13:36 GMT+1_ **

Selina could barely contain her laughter, wiping away a stray tear of amusement as her gaze focused on her lunch companion once more. “Alex, I swear you made that up.”

He grinned something quite mischeivious as he held up his hands. “Are you calling me a liar, Miss Kyle?” he asked with his thick English accent.

“No, but I think someone is exaggerating the details just a tad,” she decided.

“I have no idea what you are referring to, miss,” he said with feigned innocence.

“I’m sure you don’t,” she smirked before taking a sip of her drink. “You are quite the charmer, aren’t you? I bet you’ve charmed most of the women you’ve met.”

“Actually, I would have to say that you are quite incorrect,” he replied, a pang of sadness rising up in his chest as thoughts of Hannah rose in his mind. He found he missed her, far more than he should. “I haven’t had much time for socializing over the last several years. My job keeps me quite busy…travelling and whatnot. I’m barely home.”

“Do you have family that misses you when you’re absent?”

Alex visibly stiffened with her question, the raw anguish of Ava’s death still right there beneath the surface. He felt his chest constrict in an attempt to steal his breath, forcing him to avert his eyes. He had hoped to have better control over his emotions, but he was failing miserably. Aadarsh would be quite disappointed in his lack of restraint.

Selina quickly picked up on the turmoil that flittered across his face. “I’m so sorry, Alex,” she softly said. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

“It’s all right, Selina,” he murmured. “My parents were killed by a drunk driver and my twin sister Ava just died last week as a result of that accident.”

“Alex,” she whispered in stunned disbelief. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“Really, it’s fine,” he claimed, drawing a deep breath as he straightened his shoulders. “Ava is no longer suffering. That’s what matters most now.”

“So are you all alone?”

“There’s Annaliesa at home,” he revealed with a fond smile. “She’s taken care of me since I was born. There’s also my friend Christopher. He’s a professor of archeology at the University of London. He and my father were very close. He has kept a close eye on me since I lost my parents.”

“It’s nice to have people that you can count on in your life,” she told him, feeling as though Bruce was no longer one of those people in her own.

Alex seemed to pick up on her tone. “I sense that life has not been as gracious to you either.”

“No, I’m afraid not,” she replied. “Suffice it to say that I didn’t have the type of childhood you read about in story books.”

“I’m sorry, Selina,” he genuinely replied. “I guess we’ve both been through more than our fair share in this life.”

“You have no idea,” she confessed. “I’m afraid my past isn’t very pretty, Alex. I’m not exactly the kind of girl a boy takes home to meet his mother.”

“Well, I don’t have a mother at home to take a girl to so I guess we’ll just be fine,” he flirted, a smirk on his lips.

“You are such a tease,” she said with a chuckle. “You remind me so much of Bruce Wayne.”

“And I think that you’re a remarkable woman, Miss Selina Kyle,” he replied.

“Is that a good thing?” he asked her.

Selina took a drink before responding. “It depends on who you talk to you,” she replied. “I’m not a good one to ask that question at this particular moment.”

“Well, I believe it’s time to go,” he commented as he glanced at his watch, standing to his feet and offering her his hand. “I believe it’s time to inspect the merchandise to be auctioned.”

Selina looked up into his honey-brown eyes, taking his offered hand. “Yes, I’m anxious to see what treasures there are to pick up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Diana might be on to something after talking to Ewan. Is Alex going to be able to escape this before Bruce and Diana catch up to him?
> 
> UP NEXT: An appearance throws a definite curve ball that Bruce & Diana didn't see coming. Also, Shayera and Wally have a heart-to-heart talk. :)
> 
> Thanks, guys! You are the bestest! Be looking for a Suspicious Minds update this week.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 15:03 GMT+1_ **

Passing several security guards, Bruce entered the massive ballroom in the east wing to find it already swarming with people. After speaking with Callum, he still wasn’t convinced that some sort of illegal dealing wasn’t going on around here. He needed to do more digging into Callum’s pass, though, before he would know for certain.

His gaze swept over the ballroom in search of his Diana. After showering and dressing, they had decided to divide and conquer this morning, he finding Callum while she talked to Ewan Hale to see if they could discover if an illegal fencing ring was taking place. 

As he scanned the room for Diana, his sights unfortunately settled on Alex and Selina who had entered at that precise moment. The fine lines around his eyes tightened as he continued to observe their every move. While he didn’t want Alex pursuing Diana, he didn’t like the idea of Selina sinking her claws into Alex.

In doing research into Alex’s background, Bruce had made a very startling discovery—Alex Bristow’s life practically mirrored his own. Learning that Alex had just recently lost his twin sister caused his own demons to rise up within him

He recognized Alex was coping with his sister’s recent passing much the same way Bruce would have—throwing himself headlong into work to avoid dealing with the horrible pain of loss. It was that line of thinking about how their lives paralleled each other’s that had gotten Bruce wondering just how far those similarities actually ran. Through the death of his parents, Batman had been born, giving rise to a vigilante bent on justice and a need for redemption.

What had the loss of Alex’s parents given birth to?

It was that train of thought that made him begin to believe that Alex Bristow was the thief that he and Diana had been chasing all this time. While he himself had chosen to become a savior to his city, Alex had become a secret stain on the House of Bristow.

Both had been done in an effort to deal with the unspeakable trauma, each choosing a path that would eventually lead to destruction in the end…both destined for a bitter life of solitude littered with anger and regrets too long to begin to list. This morning, though, Bruce had finally made the decision to grasp hold of a better and brighter future, one that included the woman he loved.

The problem with Alex pursuing Selina was that Selina could be toxic, absorbed in getting what she wanted and then tossing aside anyone who got in her way. He didn’t want that to happen to Alex even if he was a thief as well, knowing all too well what the outcome would eventually be for him. He had been there too many times himself in the past with Selina. He was never going through that ever again.

Instead, he had found someone who truly cared about him not what she could get from him. Diana was able to fully love him in ways that Selina was incapable of. He just hoped and prayed that he was able to give Diana just as much if not more than she’d already given him.

“Is it hard…seeing her flirting with another man like that?”

Bruce wasn’t sure if it was the sound of her voice or the underlying worry that he caught in her tone that drew him from his reverie, but he knew that he needed to address it. He turned to find Diana standing beside him He looked her directly in the eyes, needing her to see the truth of his words when he spoke them to her.

“Honestly, it would have been at one time, but that was before I met you,” he confessed.

Diana pressed her lips against his, kissing him breathless and momentarily taking him by surprise. He quickly responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Diana reluctantly ended the kiss after several long moments, knowing they had work to do. There would be time enough later tonight to show him once more what she felt for him.

She gave him a smile, one that illuminated her whole countenance. “I think we better go catch us a thief.”

“How did it go with Hale?” Bruce asked, taking her hand and leading her to one of the numerous displays. “Were you able to learn anything?”

“Besides the fact that he is scared of women?” she replied as they inspected some Roman artifacts. “He is definitely not our thief.”

“I didn’t think so, but I wanted to rule out any involvement in illegal fencing or anything else remotely connected to the thefts,” Bruce replied.

Diana pulled him to a stop, the crease between her eyebrows appearing. “You already know who the thief is, don’t you?”

Bruce tried to not look away from the piercing glare that blazed in her eyes, but he failed miserably. He was pretty sure the sheepish expression that momentarily filled his face also wasn’t helping matters in the least. She was not going to be happy that he hadn’t let her in on his thoughts on this case.

“Bruce,” she hissed something low and dangerous and utterly sexy to him. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known?”

“Since yesterday,” he confessed, knowing that he was in very hot water. He just prayed that she didn’t banish him to the couch tonight. Now that he’d had a taste of paradise he was anxious for far more of her. There was definitely no going back now that that line had been leapt over. “I have my suspicions as to who it is, but I’m just not certain if others are involved or not.”

“And?” she asked, a single eyebrow cocked in question as she continued to stare him down with a frown on her red lips. She hated it when he kept her out of the loop.

“Just keep a close eye on Selina for me and let me do a little more digging,” he requested. “Once I’m certain, I promise to tell you everything.”

Diana shook her head, her eyes falling closed with growing irritation. “Bruce, I swear to Hera,” she grumbled under her breath. She may be in love with him, fully giving herself to him this morning, but he was still exasperating beyond words sometimes.

The unexpected feel of warm lips gently prodding hers caused her eyes to pop open only to fall closed again as he pulled her close against him. She moaned softly as his tongue probed her mouth, pleading for more. She parted her lips, allowing him to fully taste her as her fingers threaded through his hair.

Breaking the kiss, Diana rested her forehead against his. “You make it difficult to focus when you kiss me like that.”

“And I can’t stop picturing you naked beneath me in that bed,” he huskily replied, his arms wrapping possessively around her waist and keeping her close against him. “I’d love nothing more than to take you back to our room right now.”

“You’re trying to distract me from being mad at you,” she told him, pulling back enough to glare at him.

“Is it working?” he asked.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted.

“I really can’t stop picturing you naked,” he murmured.

Diana could feel warmth suffusing her face, his lustful gaze stirring her desire for this handsome man…her lover. She still couldn’t believe that she could call him that now. “I could say the same thing about you.”

Bruce was visibly taken aback by her response, not expecting it from the innocent princess that was not as innocent as she seemed. It only added to her allure. “You’re not making it very easy to let you go right now.”

“All right you two love birds,” Emily interjected with a grin. “You two need to just go back to your room and get it out of your system for a while. You’re almost as bad as Spencer and me.”

Diana blushed brightly, dipping her head slightly as she pulled a lock of red hair behind her ear. “Sorry,” she apologized.

“I’m not,” Bruce piped up with a smirk as his arm snaked around Diana’s waist to pull her close to him. “It’s hard to keep my hands off someone so beautiful. I’m afraid if we went back to our room we would never leave.”

Diana tried her best not to roll her eyes as Bruce played up his playboy façade, but it was more than difficult. “Bruce, behave yourself,” she scolded him. “I want to see the Greek artifacts.”

“Spencer is nuts over the Asian antiques display,” Emily said with a sigh as she shook her head. “I’ll never get him away from that display. Just promise me you won’t tell him about the antique car auction taking place later today.”

“My lips are sealed,” Diana promised her with a conspiratorial grin.

“I forgot all about the antique car auction,” Bruce replied with a frown, turning to look at Diana. “We definitely have to check that out.”

Emily grinned as Diana shook her head in exasperation. “You two have fun,” she told the couple. “Maybe Spencer and I will be able to catch up with you two tonight at the party.”

“Sounds good,” Bruce told her. “We’ll see you later.”

“If I can get Bruce away from the cars,” Diana added.

Emily laughed as she waved goodbye, moving on to another friend she had made this weekend. Diana genuinely liked Emily and Spencer. She hoped they’d be able to meet up again once they had returned to the States and this thief business was put to rest.

“Okay, what now?” Diana asked. “Do you want to check out the Greek artifacts with me?”

“I want you to keep a close watch on Selina for me,” he informed her. “See if you notice her lingering by certain pieces longer than necessary.”

Diana frowned as she studied him for a long moment. “So I get to watch your former lover while you watch our thief?” she questioned him, folding her arms against her chest in annoyance.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, his gaze piercing and determined. “Diana, I want to be with you,” he firmly stated. “Selina is my past and, hopefully, if I don’t screw it up, you’re my future. I want you to keep track of her because Selina likes to play games. If I pay her the least bit of attention, she will read more into it than what is there and will do her best to make life difficult for us.”

Diana released a sigh as she averted her eyes, feeling guilty for allowing her jealousy to get the better of her. She felt silly for even saying it. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” she softly said. “I’ll take care of Selina as long as you promise not to keep me in the dark on this case.”

“I promise you I’m not purposefully keeping you out of it,” he maintained. “I just want to make sure I have the right person before I reveal anymore.”

She pursed her lips as she thought about it for a moment. “I understand,” she relented. “Do you think our thief will make his move tonight or wait until after the auction is over to see who will be taking his prizes home?”

“It could really go either,” he conceded. “Even though the auction is tomorrow, the items will not be relinquished until Monday afternoon so they have plenty of time to properly wrap them and prepare everything for transport. My best bet would be Sunday night. It would be the perfect time to sneak in, steal what he wants, and be gone before morning.”

“I’ll be happy when this is all over and done with,” she remarked with a frown.

Bruce smirked with her comment. “Anxious to get away from me?”

“No,” she responded with a shake of her head. “It’s just that this thief has been evading us for so long that I’m anxious to get him behind bars. Then, we can return home and you can show me that big bed of yours at the manor.”

“I like how you think,” he decided with a crooked grin. 

He watched as Diana’s eyes widened in shock, a Greek curse following. Turning around, he spotted the source of her sudden anger. Lex Luthor had just entered the room, causing a small wave of murmuring and excitement among the guests with his unexpected appearance.

Lex smirked as his gaze met Bruce’s, causing the fine hairs on the back of Bruce’s neck to prickle in response. This was an appearance that he had hoped to avoid, but now was going to have to deal with it whether he liked it or not. Right now, he loathed it.

Barbara had warned him that she’d lost track of him and no idea where he was. Bruce knew that he was up to something, but he never would’ve guessed that this would be it. There had to be something else here that he wanted besides artifacts and antiques.

He felt Diana stiffen beside him, forcing him to turn his attention back to her. “Let’s just focus on why we’re here,” he told her. “Hopefully, we can avoid him.”

“Too late,” she replied. “He’s heading this way.”

“Great,” Bruce groused under his breath before plastering on his best Bruce Wayne grin.

“Bruce!” Lex called as he approached. “I didn’t expect to see you here this weekend. I figured you’d be on some yacht in the South of France with an all female crew and several bottles of Viagra and wine.”

Bruce felt Diana tighten her hold on his hand. It was almost painful, letting him know in no uncertain terms that playboy façade of his was quickly going to become a very distant thing of the past. He couldn’t be happier about it. He could actually be with the woman he loved instead of all those witless actresses and models that drove him crazy.

“Lex,” Bruce bit out, firmly shaking his hand with a forced smile. “I actually came to buy a few items for the Gotham Museum. What brings you out of your hole?”

Lex’s gaze shifted from Bruce to Diana at his side, a lecherous expression forming. “I have many interests actually,” he cryptically replied, extending his hand towards Diana. “I’m Lex Luthor and who might you be?”

“Diana Prince,” she said with a smile, forcing down the overwhelming urge to smash his face in as he took her hand and kissed it, his lips lingering against her skin far longer than what was considered acceptable.

“Bruce, where have you been hiding this ravishing creature?” Lex asked, his gaze locked on Diana. “You definitely found a gem this time. If you ever get bored with Wayne here, look me up. I’m certain I can keep you more than interested not to mention satisfied.”

Bruce clenched his jaw in an effort to keep a firm grip on his anger. He’d been concerned about Diana striking him, but now he feared that he just might do it. The last thing they needed right now was Lex picking his teeth up off the marble floor and creating a scene.

“Rest assured, Lex,” Bruce began, “she’s more than satisfied right here with me.”

Diana was rapidly growing agitated, not appreciating the fact that she was the prize in a pissing match between Bruce and Lex. “I’m going to check out the Greek artifacts,” she announced before walking away, leaving the two boys to their childish games.

Bruce watched in annoyance as Diana walked away, leaving him alone with Lex. He knew she was mad at him, but it couldn’t be helped. A low, wolfish whistle from Luthor forced his focus back on the man before him. “I’ve always been a leg man,” Luthor said.

Bruce’s fingers curled into fists, the urge to beat him growing stronger the longer that he leered at Diana. “Don’t even think about it, Lex,” he stated, a sneer on his lips.

Lex chuckled with Bruce’s obvious jealousy. “Oh, please, you’ll be on to the next Bruce Wayne flavor of the week by Tuesday.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Bruce spat out as he walked away.

He had too much going on right now without having to deal with Lex Luthor. He spotted Diana inspecting some Greek artifacts, her brow furrowing as she carefully ran her fingers over an ancient dagger. The look of heartfelt sentiment that passed over her face tugged at his heart, knowing how much she missed her home…her mother and sisters turning their back on her. He swore to himself that he’d do everything in his power to make her happy, to help fill the void that consumed her.

He felt his body relax, the tension in his muscles seeping away as he watched her. She always seemed to have that affect on him no matter where they were, not matter the circumstances. He had given her everything this morning and had received so much more in return.

On top of that, she was hopefully safe now. Consummating their feelings for each other this morning had hopefully altered the path of his future self. He still had some lingering fears and doubts that refused to be alleviated, though.

What was going to occur that would’ve led up to her death? Was that event still coming or had that been averted as well?

As much as he wanted to believe that she wasn’t going to die, he still couldn’t be absolutely sure. What if his elder self was wrong? He’d given him so little information to go on, refusing to tell him more than he absolutely needed to change their future for both himself and her. 

It frustrated him to no end not having all of the facts. All he could now was to trust her to take care of herself and do everything he could to make sure she never left him. He loved her desperately, more than he’d ever loved another and yet showing her had been so much easier for him than telling her.

Thoughts of this morning flooded his mind and renewed his intense desire for her. He could hardly wait to undress her, to feel her skin as soft as velvet beneath his fingers, to be completely enveloped deep within her heat. Being tangled with her in the sheets of their bed was what he wanted more than anything right now, but he needed to focus. The sooner they caught Alex, the sooner he could have Diana to his heart’s content.

Moving among the crowd, Bruce’s scrutinizing gaze quickly settled on Alex, noticing the way that he and Selina were moving together from one display to the next. They were currently inspecting several priceless paintings, pausing to whisper something to each other.

He couldn’t help wondering what they were discussing and just how far those discussions extended into the world of stealing. Having two professional thieves spending so much time together and possibly falling in love was not something that he relished witnessing.

It made his stomach churn with all sorts of ideas of what they could be conspiring to do or plans that were being hatched. It also didn’t help matters in the least that Luthor had decided to show up at the last minute. His arrival here only helped to further complicate matters.

Now, he had three criminals to keep track of and possibly more that he didn’t know about yet. He couldn’t help feeling that there was something more was going on here that they hadn’t discovered yet, but he had no idea what that something could be.

Making his way through the crowds, Bruce came to a stop behind Diana who was intently studying a small Greek vase. He reached around her, his nose nuzzling her ear as he took the vase out of her hand. “Miss me yet?” he huskily whispered in her ear, causing her to gasp sharply.

She shivered despite herself as he pressed himself against her back. She watched as he set the vase back down on the table, thankful that he had taken it from her before she dropped it. He loved sneaking up on her like this. Curse the man.

She turned to face him, a smirk on her lips. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on Luthor instead of me?”

Instead of a sheepish expression, he gave a seductive leer. “I’d much rather look at you,” he told her with his patented playboy grin. “You’re far better looking than him.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she studied him. “Nice try,” she replied. “What are you really up to?”

“Luthor’s talking to Madeleine Sandoval,” he revealed. “They’re standing behind you looking at the Viking artifacts display.”

“So you thought you’d come over here and flirt with me while watching him,” she confirmed. It was more of a statement than a question. She knew she had him dead to rights.

“I guess I’ve discovered a new benefit to sleeping with my teammate,” he murmured in her ear as his hands settled on her waist. “I have to admit this is far more enjoyable than working all alone.”

He knew they were garnering quite a few glances spending more time kissing and whispering in each other’s ear than looking at the items going up for auction, but it only served to further cement his playboy image. Besides, it allowed him to touch her, helping assuage a small measure of his simmering need for her at least for the moment.

“Alex and Selina are thick as thieves,” Diana commented with a frown.

“You have no idea,” he murmured, internally grimacing with Diana’s choice of words. She just had no idea how true that statement actually was.

Diana’s eyes narrowed as she studied him. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. He wasn’t ready to share his suspicions with her just yet.

“I just hope Selina doesn’t hurt Alex,” she said with a frown. “He’s a nice guy. He deserves to find someone who will treat him well.”

“Selina has her moments when she can actually be caring,” he revealed. “Maybe she’ll be willing to change her ways for him.”

“Leopards don’t change their spots, Bruce,” she countered, her fingers caressing his sides.

Diana had no idea what she was doing to him with her close proximity and the feel of her hands on him, but he wasn’t exactly ready to make her stop just yet. “Have you been able to find anything worth bidding on?”

“Quite a few items actually,” she told him, pulling away from him to show him a few of the artifacts that she particularly liked. “These are all authentic, Bruce. I don’t know how Leo Vanover was able to get his hands on some of these artifacts, but they are definitely genuine.

“Like this one…here. I have a dagger similar to this one on Themyscira in my room in the palace. How Leo Vanover was able to obtain this one I have no idea.”

“I don’t believe that he was into anything illegal if that makes you feel any better,” he replied, taking the dagger into his hands to inspect it himself. “In fact, I think some of these items were saved from the black market. He was trying to protect as many of these antiquities as possible. He wanted to keep them safe from those who don’t appreciate them or the history behind them.”

“If he knew that Selina was here, he’d probably roll over in his casket,” Diana muttered.

Bruce chuckled softly at the thought. “It’s roll over in his grave and I would have to agree,” he corrected her.

A scuffle abruptly broke out across the room, capturing everyone’s attention. Both grew tense, ready to react but knowing that they couldn’t. They weren’t superheroes here. They were just Bruce and Diana. It made it more than difficult to keep a tight rein on their instincts, though.

Security guards raced to the fray that was taken place between two women arguing over an intricate piece of jewelry, each of them unwilling to let go of it. The security guards swiftly moved in to separate the women, forcing them to leave the room. Bruce immediately realized it was the perfect distraction for a thief to strike.

He quickly found Alex and Selina not far from the fight. He watched as Alex carefully placed the bracelet in his hands back on the display table. He could have so easily slipped it into his jacket pocket and no one would’ve been the wiser. For some reason, he had put it back, his hand instead moving to the small of Selina’s back to guide her to the next display.

It made Bruce wonder if he was right about Alex being their mysterious thief. His instincts and extensive knowledge of human behavior was rarely if ever off, his abilities to profile a person incomparable. He knew in his gut that he wasn’t wrong this time either. He just needed the proof to confirm it.

Once he had it, Alex Bristow’s life of crime would be over.

**_Watchtower; October 8th; 11:45 EST_ **

Shayera found a table in the commissary, one that allowed her to be alone with her thoughts for a little while. Of course, most of her teammates still didn’t trust her let alone give her a second look so being alone was quite easy for her. She really couldn’t blame them, but it was still extremely difficult at times.

It was amazing how dramatically her life had changed. It wasn’t that long ago that she was a Founder of the Justice League, recognized around the world as a hero. She had everything that she could have ever wanted and, most of all, she’d had John.

Now, she was at the lowest point that a person could possibly be at. She was considered a rookie among the League, despised and labeled as a traitor by the world despite the fact that she had turned on her very own people, helping to save the world in the end.

It was definitely going to take a lot of work to prove herself trustworthy once again, but she was determined to do it no matter what it took or how long. Her resolve had only hardened that much more now that John had told her that he still loved her.

She could hardly believe it. Even after all this time, after all that she had done and all that they had been through, John still loved her. She couldn’t begin to believe how that was even possible, but she was too afraid to question it. She was already afraid that she’d wake to find it all nothing more than a dream.

Glancing down at her lunch tray, she didn’t know if she could eat right now. Her mind was racing and her stomach swimming with so many emotions and thoughts. Even now, she could hardly process it all despite the fact that it had been hours ago that he had told her the truth.

Could things be turning around for her? Could she finally be getting her life back?

Glancing around the steadily filling commissary she wasn’t so sure about that. She still received little more than a scowl or a lingering stare. She sighed heavily, knowing deep down that it was going to take time, but at least things were looking up now that John was going to be all right.

They still had so much they needed to talk about, but it could wait for later. It was enough right now to know that he still loved her and she loved him. That was one thing that had never changed in the midst of all that had happened. Her love for him had remained strong, even deepening over time despite being gone.

Coming back here to see John with someone else had cut far deeper than she had ever dreamed was possible, but she knew that she had no right to him. She was the one who had turned her back and walked away from him, leaving him on that cliff with a broken arm and a broken heart. She couldn’t possibly have expected him to wait for her.

“Hey, Shay,” Flash greeted her with a grin and a tray laden with enough food to feed at least three people. “Care if I join you?”

“Take a seat,” she replied as she poked at her lunch with her fork.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, settling into the seat across from her. “I thought you’d be overjoyed that John woke up and is going to be good as new in a few days.”

“I am…I’m very relieved,” she confessed, trying to keep a wall around her emotions. She had a feeling that no one knew yet about John and Vixen breaking up, but it would come out soon.

Flash studied her for a long moment, knowing that something was going on that she wasn’t revealing. “Okay, spill it,” he pressed. “Tell ol’ Flash what’s going on.”

“Nothing,” she tried to insist, giving him her best innocent look.

His eyes narrowed, not buying her answer for one second. “Oh, please,” he groused. “I invented that innocent look. I’ve had to use it at least a million times on Bats in order to save my hide. What’s going on?”

Before Shayera could respond, Vixen entered the commissary with Fire and Ice, their eyes meeting. A tumultuous storm of emotions passed in the split second when green eyes met brown. Shayera was the first to look away but not before Flash had caught the look on her face.

“No way,” he gasped the words, nearly choking on his drink. “John and Mari broke up, didn’t they?”

Shayera frowned as she glared at the scarlet speedster. “What makes you say that?” she demanded to know, stunned by his conclusion.

“They did!” he exclaimed, receiving a kick to his shin beneath the table. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Would you keep it down,” she hissed in a threatening tone.

“Tell me what happened,” he insisted, reaching down to rub his shin.

He glanced at the trio of ladies as they passed by, giving Fire an especially big grin. Vixen refused to make eye contact with either of them, but Fire returned Flash’s smile with one of her own. “Hi, Flash,” she said with a wave.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he flirted.

“You’re pathetic,” Shayera said with a wince. “Hey, gorgeous? What’s that?”

“She loves it when the Flash flirts with her,” he maintained. “I am the lady’s man, Shay. What can I say? Women love me.”

“You need your head examined.”

Stuffing half a hamburger into his mouth, he decided it was high time to turn the topic of conversation back around. “So tell me what happened with John and Vix,” he stated with a mouthful of food.

“I don’t even know for sure,” Shayera reluctantly confessed, deciding that she could use a friend to talk to and Flash was basically all that she had now. “I was sitting with John in the infirmary. He woke up and that’s when he told me that he was no longer with Mari.”

“That had to have just happened since the mission because I just overheard Mari talking the other day about planning a weekend away with John next month,” he revealed.

A pang of jealousy flared inside of her, but she tamped down on it. She had no right to be jealous, but it was difficult thinking of John in bed with another woman. She had no one to blame for it but herself. Now, though, she had been given a second chance and she wasn’t going to waste it or walk away from it.

“Please, Wally, don’t tell anyone about this,” Shayera pleaded with him. “John needs some time right now. He doesn’t need to be hounded with questions or subject to a bunch of gossip.”

“You have my word, Shay…my lips are sealed,” he promised her. “So are you two back together now?”

“Actually…I’m not really sure,” Shayera confessed as she stared at her plate of uneaten food. “We still have a lot to talk about, but John is no shape to do that right now. Not only he is recovering but he has just broken up with Mari. I didn’t feel as though I could push him for an answer.”

“So you guys just admitted that you still love each other and that’s it?”

Shayera took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Pretty much,” she muttered.

“That’s a pretty good place to start, Shay,” Flash decided. “At least you guys know where you both stand as far as your feelings for each other.”

“Yah, it was a pretty good feeling knowing that he loves me even after all that’s happened between us.”

“Shay, we still care about you,” he told her. “That’s never changed.”

She snorted in amusement. “Not quite everyone,” she reminded him.

“All right so Wondy is going to take some time to get over it,” he said. “Just give her time. You know that Wondy can’t stand mad forever.” 

Shayera gave him a look that said “really”, a single eyebrow cocking in response. Flash frowned, knowing he needed to try a different approach. “Okay, so maybe she can stay mad forever, but I really think that she’ll eventually come around,” he tried again.

“It doesn’t matter,” Shayera replied, her eyes flashing with resentment. “I don’t need the princess’s approval anyway.”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Flash encouraged her. “Keep working hard and just be yourself. You’ll eventually earn everyone’s trust again.”

“Thanks, Wally,” she softly said. “You’re the only real friend that I have.”

“I’ll always be,” he swore.

Shayera glanced over at Vixen to find her staring at her. There wasn’t anger or hatred in her eyes, only sadness…resignation. She knew all too well what Mari was going through right now. She’d been living it ever since returning to the Watchtower to find John with someone else.

She didn’t feel it was a victory to be celebrated knowing that John would be hers again. It could have so easily gone the other way. Instead, she felt sorrow knowing that there really were no winners in this triangle. They were all three still hurting in their own ways.

Hopefully someday, they would be able to find peace once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So Bruce is on to Alex and now Lex is there too. We all know Lex is up to something and it won't be good! 
> 
> Updates: The sequel to Murder at Wayne Manor titled What Lies Beneath is coming along well. I'm starting Chp 18 and hope to wrap it up in about 10 more chapters so I can start posting it. I believe the Thief fic will be done by Chp 32 and then I'll start the sequel to Family Matters titled Family Ties. Looking forward to starting that as there will be lots going on with Talia and Damian's arrival at Wayne Manor and Diana starting her ambassador duties. Hint: not all the Amazons are thrilled with their queen's decision to open up to Man's World.
> 
> Up Next: It's the masquerade ball. Bruce follows Alex and Selina while Diana tries to find out what Luthor's up to


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

_**Vanover Castle; October 8th, 19:44 GMT+1** _

Alex adjusted his bowtie as he entered the ballroom to find it already buzzing with guests. He was hoping to get here early enough so that he could discreetly slip away later. He wanted to make sure he was fully prepared for his planned heist. It was going to be his final performance per se and he was not about to be caught.

“Mister Bristow,” Grace greeted him from behind, causing him to turn around. “You are looking very dapper tonight. Where’s your mask?”

“It’s here in my pocket, Miss Burke,” he replied, patting his jacket pocket.

“Be sure you wear it tonight,” she reminded him, wagging her forefinger at him as if scolding him. The mischief in her eyes was hardly rebuking. “This is a masquerade party after all and Master Vanover wanted to make certain everyone has a marvelous time this weekend.”

“I assure you I will put it on,” he promised her with a charming smile, wanting to make sure that no one caught on to his real reason for being here. “I’m just looking for someone in particular. I want to make sure that I find her.”

“Ah, it wouldn’t happen to be that lovely brunette you’ve been spending time with would it?” she perceptively inquired with a knowing grin.

Alex dipped his head slightly, attempting to appear like a man completely infatuated. “It might be,” he sheepishly confessed. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets, portraying a very innocent air. He didn’t want to draw any unwanted suspicion.

“Well, I think you two make a very lovely couple,” Grace told him, patting him on his arm in a motherly manner that reminded him so much of Annaliesa. “Master Vanover would be thrilled to think this weekend event that he’d planned out had brought to people together.”

“She is a special woman,” he agreed, his eyes lifting to the entrance to the ballroom as the woman they were talking about entered the ballroom.

While he held no romantic interest in Selina Kyle, it did prove helpful for covering up his true intentions for being here. He watched as she entered wearing an emerald green dress that fit her like a glove, hugging her feminine curves. Her brunette hair was pulled into an intricate hairdo, her mask lacy and black. She looked incredibly sexy, exuding sensuality with every step she took.

It was quite obvious that she was intent on making Bruce Wayne very jealous tonight. The problem lay with the fact that Bruce was quite obviously in love with Diana and had moved on from whatever he’d shared with Selina. The chances of Selina being able to win Bruce back now were negligible.

“I believe your special someone has just arrived,” Grace knowingly said. “Have a good evening, Mister Bristow.”

“Thank you, Miss Burke,” he absentmindedly murmured.

Selina caught a glimpse of him at that moment, their eyes meeting. The corner of her red lips curved as she slowly began to make her way towards him. The sultry sway of her hips was hypnotizing, the deadly slit of her dress exposing plenty of leg to make sure that she invaded the dreams of a certain Gotham billionaire playboy if she played her cards right. It didn’t hurt spending time with Alex in order to make Bruce jealous.

She came to a stop before him, her smiling dazzling. “You look very handsome,” she commented, “but I do believe that you’re missing something.”

“It’s in my pocket,” he murmured.

Selina reached out, her hand finding his tux jacket pocket. Her fingers slipped inside to find his mask, pulling it free. She unfolded it before carefully reaching up and putting it on for him, adjusting it to make sure he could see out of it. “There,” she murmured, pleased. “The masked man from London.”

“You look beautiful tonight, Selina.”

“Thank you,” she replied, wrapping her hand around his arm. “Care to get something to eat? I’m positively starving.”

“I’d love to,” he agreed, allowing her to lead him to the buffet table.

Selina couldn’t help wondering if Alex was the thief that Bruce had been chasing. There was just something about him…something familiar about the way that he moved and his knowledge of a vast array of art and jewels. He reminded her of Bruce in many ways, but he also reminded her of herself.

There was also something that he had said earlier today when they were inspecting the Egyptian artifacts that had captured her attention and piqued her suspicions. He had grown very solemn as he’d held an Egyptian amulet, his eyes growing distant. She’d asked if he was all right and he’d confessed to her that his mother had been fascinated with Egyptian culture and antiquities.

She wasn’t sure that he was even aware that he’d said it, but it had definitely caught her off guard since he had been at the Gotham Museum the night the Egyptian artifacts had been stolen. She wondered if he would ever reveal the fact that he had ulterior motives for being here.

Taking a drink of her wine, Selina caught sight of Lex Luthor entering the ballroom sans mask, a smug expression gracing his face. She scowled darkly at him, hoping that he’d gone home. She had seen him earlier perusing the various items going up for auction and hitting on Madeleine Sandoval. It had made her wonder what exactly he was up to. She’d never pegged him as someone interested in antiquities or jewels. He was more interested in destroying Superman and ruling the world.

“Do you know that man?” Alex asked her, noticing the way that she had stiffened with his appearance.

“Unfortunately,” she confessed with a frown, turning her attention back to her dinner companion. “Do yourself a huge favor and avoid him at all cost. He’ll only end up getting you into trouble.”

“I take it that you haven’t had a very good experience with him,” Alex guessed.

“That’s putting it mildly,” she muttered, her annoyance only escalating with the sudden arrival of the Amazon princess.

Diana looked stunning in a floor-length black evening gown that fit like a second skin and a matching winged mask, immediately capturing the attention of everyone in the room as she entered. Selina ground her teeth as she watched her, still nursing the bitter sting of being scorned by Bruce, but she would in the end. 

He’d practically tossed her aside for the Amazon, pushing her away in hopes of bedding the princess. He’d been more than content kissing her in the cave over a week ago, more than ready to have sex with her before they’d been interrupted by Alfred. 

Now this week, Bruce’s sights were set on the princess, hoping to seduce her like he had done to her. It was pathetic really…a romantic liaison destined for disaster. She was more than anxious to watch the train wreck that was no doubt about to come when things fell apart.

“Do you feel threatened by Diana?” Alex inquired as if reading her thoughts as he leaned in close to her.

“Not at all,” she snorted dismissively as she turned to meet his curious stare. “Just wondering what he actually sees in her.”

“Isn’t it obvious what he sees in her?” he asked. “She’s gorgeous, intelligent, warmhearted. What’s not to love about her?”

“Quite a bit actually,” she bit out, not really wanting to talk about it with him. 

Alex didn’t have a chance to ask her what she’d meant by that as the one person Selina had hoped to avoid decided to greet her. “Selina, always a pleasure to see you,” Lex drawled, his lips twitching with amusement as he came to stand by their table. “I see that you’ve traded one mask for another.”

Selina glared darkly at him, practically daring him to try something with her right here in front of everyone. “So what made you slither out of your hole and fly to England?”

“Just some particular items that interested me,” he cryptically replied. “I have to say that I’m rather surprised to see you here. Of course, there are quite a few jewels here just waiting to be stolen by someone. I’m sure the temptation was far too great for you to ignore.”

“I promised the judge I’d change my ways…unlike you I’m sure,” Selina countered, wondering what Alex thought of this little exchange. “So what world conquering scheme have you devised this time?”

“I assure you that I’ve changed my ways,” he insisted.

“Oh, did hell freeze over?” Selina innocently asked. “I’m afraid I missed that bit of news.”

The smile on Lex’s face was incongruous with the annoyance burning in his eyes. “Anyway, there is someone far more appealing I’d rather talk to,” he uttered with frown, his gaze falling on Diana who was talking to Grace Burke. “Have a nice evening.”

Lex turned away from them, missing Selina’s sneer as he made a beeline for Diana. Thankfully, Bruce Wayne was nowhere in sight yet. Plastering a beguiling smile on his face, he approached her as Grace began to walk away, leaving her alone and vulnerable prey for him to pounce on.

“So we meet again, Miss Prince,” Lex smoothly addressed her, automatically reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss.

Diana swallowed back the string of Greek curses that danced on her tongue begging to be expressed as he pressed his lips to her knuckles. She despised this slimy man with every fiber of her being. He had a way about him that made her skin crawl and that was on top of the fact he was constantly trying to find ways to destroy Superman and the League.

“I’m afraid so,” she replied with a clipped tone, refusing to mask the fact that she reviled him.

Lex’s smile only grew broader, appreciating her fiery spirit. “You look positively ravishing tonight,” he complimented her in that deep voice of his, keeping a firm hold on her hand. “I can’t believe that fool Wayne would leave someone as beautiful as you to fend for yourself like this. Good thing I’m here to take care of you.”

“I assure you I can take care of myself,” she coolly informed him, pulling her hand free from his hold. “Bruce needed to take care of some business. He should be here at any moment.”

“Well, I guess I can have you all to myself until he arrives,” Lex readily decided. “Maybe I can persuade you in that time to dump Wayne and give me a chance. I’m promise you I’m far more exciting and stimulating than that oaf.”

The corners of Diana’s lips curled slightly, her disgust for this man escalating with every moment that she spent in his presence. It was taking every bit of restraint that she had not to punch him in the face right here, but she had a secret identity to maintain regardless of how much she loathed this pitiful excuse for a human being. 

Still, she couldn’t help wondering what he was doing here. She knew it couldn’t be anything good. Could he possibly be in collusion with the thief that they’d been chasing? She highly doubted it, but she really couldn’t put anything past Luthor. She was determined to stop him as well this weekend.

“I have no interest in ever going out with you,” she firmly stated, her eyes narrowing behind her mask. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Diana began to turn away only to be stopped by a firm grip on her forearm. She turned to glare menacingly at the bald-headed man who had the audacity to try to restrain her. Her anger flared hotly inside of her, her teeth grinding in an effort to keep from ripping his arm off and beating him bloody with it.

“No one walks away from Lex Luthor,” he ground out with a threatening glare.

“Let go of her, Lex,” Bruce angrily growled, intervening at the right moment to keep Diana from losing her temper. He was stepping in to save Lex at that moment, not Diana.

Luthor reluctantly released his hold on Diana, a smug grin spreading across his face once more. “Only because I have better things to do than waste my time on used goods,” he replied, looking Diana up and down before turning and walking away.

Diana immediately took a threatening step towards him, her hands balling into fists at her sides more than prepared to make him pay for his insolence. In one swift motion, Bruce pulled her into his strong arms, his lips against to her ear. “Let it go, Princess,” he whispered. “He’s not worth it.”

He could feel her relax minutely with his words, her hands unclenching before coming to rest on his shoulders as she finally met his gaze. “Fine,” she ground out, “but the next time he causes trouble, I get to be the one to pummel him senseless.”

“Deal,” he readily agreed, pulling back to gaze into her masked face to kiss her softly. “Let’s get something to eat.”

Releasing an angry huff, Diana relented as she took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the buffet. Filling their plates, they settled in at a small table, Bruce unable to take his eyes off her. He watched as her eyes fell closed as she took a bite of her food, noticing the way she always found pleasure in the simplest things in life. It was so refreshing…endearing, forcing him to always pause and take notice of simple pleasures too.

Diana swallowed the moan that she felt rising up in her throat as she savored the pork medallions smothered in mushroom sauce. She was beginning to think that Alfred had learned his amazing culinary skills from whoever the chef was here at the castle.

She glanced at Bruce to find him staring at her with eyes growing darker with desire, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “What?” she asked, slightly embarrassed.

“You look incredible tonight,” he confessed. “You have no idea how much that dress is turning me on right now.”

“If you’re lucky, I’ll let you remove it later,” she teased, her foot intentionally running along his shin.

Bruce groaned as images of removing her dress took shape in his mind, a wicked grin spreading across his handsome face. “I always get what I want,” he flirted.

“Well, you look very handsome yourself,” she told him, appreciating how striking he looked in his tux with his half mask that only covered the upper left side of his face. It reminded her of her favorite play _Phantom of the Opera._

“What was Luthor saying to you before I arrived?” he asked. Not only did they have their thief to capture, but now they had Selina and Luthor here with the potential to cause a lot of trouble if they weren’t careful. 

“Just trying to seduce me,” she revealed. “He’s a pathetic…”

Diana digressed into a Greek rant that put a smirk on Bruce’s face. “Tell me what you really think of him,” he teased.

“I’m telling you, Bruce, he’s up to something,” she replied with a frown. “He’s not here for the auction. There’s something bigger he wants that we don’t know about yet.”

“I agree, but we’re going to have to figure out what that something is fast because if the thief is going to strike, it’ll be tomorrow night.”

“Well, he got a good look at everything going up for auction tomorrow,” she said. “I doubt that he’s going to want to sit back and watch his prizes being auctioned off to others.”

“Unless he’s waiting to see where all the pieces he wants are going so he can steal them later,” he cryptically murmured, his gaze shifting to Alex and Selina who were still talking and laughing at their table on the other side of the room. He didn’t like the idea of that collaboration in the least.

Diana followed Bruce’s gaze, her lips curving into a frown. “You think it’s Alex, don’t you?”

Stunned by her words, he turned sharply to meet her gaze, finding sadness reflecting in her eyes. “What makes you think that?”

“First of all, Alex told me has no family…only a housekeeper to look after him and his home,” she thoughtfully responded as she considered how she’d come to the same conclusion. “Secondly, he has to do quite a bit of travelling all over the world for his work, lending him the opportunity to pick up pieces for himself as well his clients. 

“Thirdly, I caught a brief glimpse of sadness in his eyes when he was inspecting the sapphire collection. I don’t think he meant to let it slip, but I caught something in his expression that led me to believe he had a very special attachment to the jewels.”

“Is that all?” he asked, rather impressed with her deductive reasoning.

“I also realized how much he reminds me of you and that got me thinking…what if he’s the direct opposite of you,” she continued. “He confessed to me that he had no family and that he was alone. It made me wonder if maybe instead of becoming a hero like you, he chose a completely different path…one of crime instead of justice.”

“Very good,” he praised her, his gaze wandering the crowd and noticing Alex and Selina stepping out onto the balcony for some privacy. “There just might be hope for you yet.”

She gave him a playful glare, one that held little heat to it. “You do remember that I’m blessed by Athena, right?”

“I always knew you were very intelligent…almost as gifted as I am,” he admitted with a playful smirk. “With a little guidance from me, you just might become a decent detective someday.”

Diana rolled her eyes, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. “You’re about one more comment away from finding yourself sleeping all alone on the couch tonight,” she threatened.

He leaned in, his nose and lips nuzzling her earlobe in an attempt to drive her crazy. “I’m pretty sure I could find a way to persuade you to let me back into that bed with you, Princess,” he huskily murmured in her ear. “If you thought this morning was amazing, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

She turned her head, her lips briefly grazing his. “I could say the same for you too.”

“You’re making it difficult not to forget this whole case and just take you up to our bedroom right now.”

“How about if we dance instead?” she asked, knowing they needed to keep their focus on their mission. They could ravish each other later once their thief had been caught.

“Fine; I guess this will have to do for now,” he relented, standing to his feet and offering her his hand. “At least I’ll get to hold you close.”

Diana took his hand, following him out onto the dance floor. Her gaze fell on Luthor, her stomach churning with the way that he was still leering at her. She looked away from him, pressing her cheek against Bruce’s and wishing she could be alone with him right now. 

She couldn’t have been any happier about the recent development in their relationship. They had taken a huge step this morning in acting upon their feelings for each other. Now, she found herself more than anxious to see how their relationship would continue to progress. She just prayed that Bruce didn’t get cold feet the second they returned to Gotham and their duties.

Here in England, they could just be Bruce and Diana, leaving Batman and Wonder Woman behind them for a few days. They would have to return to real life in a couple more days and the respective responsibilities that awaited them. She greatly feared this would all come to an abrupt end the moment they returned home, the fantasy come reality crashing down around her.

“Do you have a visual on Luthor?” he whispered in her ear.

“Unfortunately,” she confirmed. “He’s at the bar talking with Madeleine Sandoval, his hand on her thigh. I have a sneaking suspicion they’re up to something.”

“I have to agree with you on that,” he said. “I have Oracle looking into Madeleine’s activities. She’s supposed to get back to me later tonight.”

“I hope she doesn’t interrupt anything salacious that might be taking place in our bedroom tonight,” she replied. “I’d hate to have to share you.”

“There is definitely plenty of me to go around,” he teased, earning a tight squeeze on his hand that told him she did not like his response in the least.

“There is no more of you going out with anyone else from now on,” she firmly stated.

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured before turning and kissing her softly.

He felt her shiver in his arms as his hand slid lower down her back to rest just above her backside, pulling her a little more firmly against his pelvis. A soft gasp was his reward as she brushed her cheek against his, her fingers caressing the nape of his neck.

She pulled back, noticing that Luthor was leaving. “Luthor and Madeleine are on the move.”

“Follow them and see what you can find out,” he told her. “I’ll keep an eye on Alex and Selina. Just don’t let him see you. I don’t want you breaking Luthor if he tries to make another pass at you.”

Diana gave him a look that told him he was pushing it. “Really, Bruce?”

“Meet me back here,” he told her, reluctantly releasing her in order to chase their prey. “Contact me if you need backup.”

“I’m sure I can handle it,” she reassured him with a roll of her eyes.

“Just don’t break Luthor,” he reminded her. “You’re Diana Prince, not an Amazon.”

“It’s you who is going to be broken if you don’t stop treating me like a rookie,” she huffed with growing annoyance.

Bruce watched as she walked away, the graceful sway of her hips making his mouth water. It didn’t help that she looked positively deadly in that form fitting dress, the back covered in black mesh that allowed a subtle peek at the toned muscle beneath. She was all warrior and yet very much all woman wrapped up in a Greek goddess that was all his. It felt like a wonderful fantasy.

He was more than anxious to get this evening over with so he could have her all to himself in that bed all night long. He was practically aching for more of her, to explore every inch of her all over again, but that was going to have to wait. Right now, they had work to do.

Smiling to a couple of guests that he’d met earlier, Bruce worked his way through the crowded ballroom towards the balcony. Thankfully, one of the four bars that occupied the room was situated right by the balcony doors that Alex and Selina had just passed through.

He knew no matter what he did Selina was going to be suspicious of his motives, assuming that he was spying on her out of jealousy or mistrust. Tonight, jealousy had absolutely nothing to do with it. He didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her. He’d tried too many times over the years only for her to play with him and his heart.

There was a definite reason for her being here and it had nothing to do with Alex Bristow. That was no doubt Alex was just an unexpected bonus as far as she was concerned. It was only a matter of time before she used him as well, tossing him aside and moving on to the next man who could help her get what she wanted.

He had a sneaking suspicion that she had her sights set on some particular jewels. The more they glittered and shined the more the feline thief was interested in nabbing them for herself. He had a sneaking suspicion this time would be no different.

Alex and Selina stopped at the edge of the balcony, Alex leaning on the stony wall that lined it. “So have you decided what items you’ll be bidding on tomorrow?” he ventured.

“There are several necklaces that caught my eye, but I’ll have to see how the bidding goes,” she replied. “What about you?”

“I have four different items that my clients want me to bid on for them,” he revealed.

“But what about you personally?” she pressed. “I’m sure there’s something here that you wouldn’t mind getting your hands on.”

He straightened up to look at her, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not certain there is anything I personally want,” he tentatively said.

Selina’s lips curled into a mischeivious grin. “Oh, come on, Alex,” she responded with a chuckle. “You don’t have to play coy with me. I know that you are a thief just like me.”

Alex grew tense, his brow furrowing as he stared at her. He paused to glance around at the balcony to find they were still alone. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s all right, Alex…you don’t have to answer,” she told him, turning to gaze out over the gardens lit by landscaping lights. “I already know that you are. I saw the way that you were looking at some of the artifacts and jewels today. I know that look all too well.”

“Selina—” he began only to be cut off by her.

“I have to say that I was very impressed with the heist at the Gotham Museum,” she continued, not allowing him to deny it again. “You are very good…just as good as me if not better.”

Alex remained silent, his mind racing as he leaned his forearms on the stone wall again. He had made a mistake at some point since meeting her, allowed something to slip through that he shouldn’t have. Was it a look in his eye when he’d been inspecting the sapphire necklaces this afternoon? Or was it something that he’d said while assessing the Egyptian artifacts?

No matter the mistake he’d made, Selina was on to him and he didn’t like it one bit. On the other hand, she didn’t exactly seem inclined to alert the authorities about it. Maybe it was because she too had plans of her own in mind that she didn’t want any extra attention drawn to them.

“I’m not certain whether I should be offended that you think I’m a thief or flattered that you believe I’m such a good one,” he lightly replied, choosing his words carefully.

“Relax,” she told him, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. “I’m not going to turn you in or tell anyone else about it. In fact, I’m interested in how you plan on accomplishing the heist. The security they have on that room is tighter than Fort Knox. I can’t see how anyone could get in or out without getting caught.”

A gleam of excitement sparked in Alex’s eyes as he considered his plan, knowing it would be his most dangerous and daring theft to date. Still, he wasn’t about to comment one way or another about it. It was far too dangerous and he had come too far without having been caught. Now was definitely not the time to let his guard down.

“It’s been a lovely evening, but I believe that I’m going to retire early tonight,” he told her, turning to face her. “Have a good evening, Selina.”

“Good night, Alex,” she said with a small smile as he turned to leave.

Despite his lack of confirmation, she was still convinced that he was the thief that Bruce had been looking for. The real question now was what she was going to do with that knowledge. She wasn’t about to tell Bruce, deciding that he and his new girlfriend could figure it out on their own.

No, she had her own plans for this weekend, one that included a few diamonds that would look very nice with her collection.

**_Vanover Castle; October 8th, 21:02 GMT+1_ **

Luthor glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that no one was following them. Finding the hallway clear, his gaze returned to the blond woman in the fitted blue dress before him. If he couldn’t get his hands on Diana Prince, he was most definitely going to get his hands on Madeleine Sandoval.

Diana followed from a safe distance, using her enhanced hearing to make sure she didn’t lose them. She knew they were up to something, but it was also obvious that Luthor was interested in far more with the way that he had been leering at Madeleine all evening.

She decided Madeleine must not be that bright if she didn’t know that Lex Luthor was not someone to form a partnership with let alone get involved with romantically. He would turn on her at the drop of a hat and not think twice about it, stabbing her in the back when she least expected it in order to save his own skin.

Peering around a corner, she spotted Luthor and Madeleine turning the corner at the end of the hall. She quickened her pace, not wanting to lose them. Thankfully, the halls were empty, all the guests partying and drinking at the masquerade ball. It allowed her to follow Luthor without being spotted or questioned.

She continued to trail them through the castle towards the north end where she’d been told Leo Vanover had mainly lived. She was somewhat surprised by this realization, believing that they’d be heading to where the items going up for auction were held. It only seemed to confirm in her mind that he was up to something other than the auction.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Diana paused for several seconds before peeking around the corner to find Luthor and Madeleine talking in the hallway. Luthor was gazing at her with a smug grin on his face, Madeleine completely taken with him. It made Diana want to vomit.

“You’re sure you have what I want?” Luthor asked her, reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. “If you don’t, I’m not going to be very happy.”

“I promise you’ll get it tomorrow night after midnight,” she reassured him, closing the distance between them. “Do you have what I want?”

Lex patted his tux pocket. “Right here, my dear,” he told her. “You give me Excalibur and the money is all yours.”

“Good,” she said with a nod before leaning in and kissing him.

Luthor wrapped his arms around her, fully returning the heated kiss. “No one else knows about it, right?” he questioned her breathlessly, keeping her in his arms.

“You are the only one that I’ve discussed it with it,” she insisted, her lips trailing along his jaw to his ear. “Excalibur will be all yours come midnight tomorrow night.”

Luthor quickly pulled her into a side room; Madeleine grinning from ear to ear as she readily followed him inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Diana quickly made her way towards the room, needing to confirm what they were up to and that nothing else was going on.

Coming to stand outside the door, Diana wrinkled her nose in disgust as she listened to them, silently cursing Bruce for sending her to follow Luthor. He was going to owe her big for this one, deciding that he had gotten the better end of the deal following Selina and Alex than listening to Luthor and Madeleine having sex.

Deciding that she’d had more than enough, she silently slipped away, not wanting to hear anymore. She needed to get back to Bruce and find out what this Excalibur was that Luthor was after. She highly doubted that it was the mythical sword that they had been discussing, but, at this point, nothing could be ruled out especially when Luthor was involved.

She couldn’t believe how this weekend had spiraled so far beyond what they had believed it would be. They had started out trying to catch their mysterious thief that they’d been chasing for weeks only to have a jealous Selina show up yesterday followed by none other than Lex Luthor today.

Now, they had another mystery on their hands to solve and they only had until tomorrow night to discover what Excalibur was. She sighed heavily as she made her way back to the ballroom. She had a very bad feeling this was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Excalibur? What is Luthor up to now? Selina is on to Alex. Will that make Alex change his plans for his last heist?
> 
> UP NEXT: Things get hot and heavy again between Bruce and Diana. John learns what happened to Shayera after she left him standing on that cliff with a broken heart. Alex has second thoughts.
> 
> Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 01:14 GMT+1_ **

Bruce and Diana made their way back to their suite in silence. Walking hand-in-hand, they were both lost to their thoughts, their minds racing to put the pieces together. There were things going on around here that went far beyond their thief that they’d been chasing the last few weeks. Now with Selina and Luthor here, their case had become that much more complicated. 

Unlocking the door, Bruce pushed it open for her, a frown on his face as he waited for her to pass through the doorway. He needed to call Alfred to see if he knew anything about this mysterious Excalibur that Luthor was itching to get his hands on. 

He highly doubted Luthor was referring to the mythical legendary sword of King Arthur, but he needed more information before he could fully rule anything out at this point. He’d seen enough over the years as Batman that he anything was possible. He just hoped that Alfred’s past involvement in the British Secret Service might shed some much needed light onto all of this.

“Are you sure we don’t need to stake out the room where the antiques are being kept?” Diana asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed, removing her mask before tossing it aside on the bedside table.

“Positive,” he confirmed as he pulled out his cell phone before removing his tux jacket. “The security Callum has in place is as good as anything I would’ve set up. Besides, Alex won’t make his move until tomorrow night.”

Diana frowned as she studied him, thinking through his theory. “How do you know that?”

“Because it’s exactly what I would do,” he confidently answered her as he called Alfred.

“Alfred,” Bruce said as the British butler answered.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred replied. “How are things in England? I hope everything is going well with Miss Diana.”

“Despite some unexpected arrivals, things are actually going very well,” he informed him as he looked over at the stunning Amazon sitting on the bed. His gaze roamed over her perfect curves and the dress that hugged those curves like a second skin as she leaned over to remove her high heels.

“I’m very pleased to hear that,” Alfred said, his tone revealing his delight. “Does this mean that I should expect to see Miss Diana spending more time at the manor?”

“I hope so,” Bruce told him as he undid his bow tie and pulled it off. “I need to know what information you might have about something called Excalibur.”

A long silence followed Bruce’s request, causing his suspicion to spike. It made the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He already had a gut feeling that this was not going to be anything good and Alfred’s lack of response was confirming it. 

“Why do you ask?” Alfred tentatively asked.

“Lex Luthor showed up here,” Bruce revealed. “Diana overheard him talking to Leo Vanover’s attorney about Excalibur. She promised to give it to him once the auction is over.”

“Oh dear,” the British butler murmured with a sigh. “I was hoping Leo’s past wouldn’t come up in all of this mess.” 

“You knew Leo Vanover?” Bruce asked, stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Leo’s involvement in the British Secret Service is not common knowledge, Master Bruce,” Alfred informed him. “He mostly worked deep undercover on very sensitive cases under a codename. Only a handful of people were privy to the knowledge of his real name.”

“And I’m assuming Excalibur was one of those cases,” he concluded.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” he confirmed.

“What was Excalibur, Alfred?”

“I guess there’s no reason to keep it confidential now,” he muttered crossly. “What I’m about to tell you does not go any further than you and Miss Diana.”

“I promise,” Bruce said with a frown as he sat down on the couch, leaning forward and preparing himself what he was about to learn.

Diana could tell that what Bruce was learning from Alfred wasn’t anything good. She sat down right beside him, her hand coming to rest against his back. She typically didn’t like to use her enhanced hearing to eavesdrop on conversations, but it was definitely necessary this time.

“Excalibur was a top secret project created by the British Secret Service,” Alfred began to explain. “Towards the end of my time with the Secret Service, there was an…incident of sorts…that led them to believe that the threat of an alien invasion was highly possible and likely inevitable. Leo spearheaded a project to create a weapon that would help protect England should there be an alien invasion. A group of scientists worked day and night for months to design a weapon that would protect England and eliminate any and all threats.”

Bruce glanced at Diana out of the corner of his eye, knowing that she was hearing all of this. “What kind of incident was it that caused them to create this project?” he pressed.

“That part is not important,” Alfred firmly stated, letting his surrogate son know that in no uncertain terms would he be revealing more than what was absolutely necessary. “What is important is the fact that a weapon was developed and tested.”

“What happened to the Excalibur weapon after that?” Bruce asked.

“There was a rather…unfortunate accident…to say the least,” he continued, leaving the gruesome details out. “Leo deemed the weapon to be far too dangerous to exist so he immediately had it dismantled and the project banned.”

“But he kept the research and plans for Excalibur,” Bruce surmised, closing his eyes as the pieces began to fall into place. Lex wanted to rebuild Excalibur in order to destroy Superman along with the Justice League. This was becoming a nightmare he never wanted to deal with, but it was facing him now whether he was ready or not.

“Yes,” Alfred confirmed with a sigh. “He was too afraid that it would fall into the wrong hands so he kept all the documents. Only a few of us knew what happened to the research.”

“And now Luthor knows,” Bruce muttered, rubbing his forehead in an effort to ward off the headache building behind his eyes. “Is there anything else that I need to know about it?”

“No, that is all of it that you need to know and all that I can tell you about it.”

“Call me right away if you think of anything else that might be helpful,” Bruce replied.

“I certainly will, Master Bruce,” Alfred agreed. “Give Miss Diana my best.”

“I will,” he promised. “Good night.”

Bruce tossed his phone onto the coffee table before sitting back on the couch, his head falling back. He rubbed his face, his frustration intensifying by the second. “You heard all of that?”

Diana nodded her head, her expression solemn as she considered the unexpected revelation. It made her ill inside the more she thought about it, the ramifications of such a weapon weighing heavily on her. “Unfortunately,” she confirmed. “You should have let me take out Luthor when I had the chance.”

“Now, I wish that I had,” he agreed as he leaned forward to remove his dress shoes and socks.

“If he gets his hands on those plans…” Diana began, her voice trailing off as the consequences of such a weapon being made crashed down on her. Lex would no doubt use it on Kal the first opportunity that he got.

“I know,” he said. “We’ll stop him.”

Diana stood to her feet, making her way towards the bed. “Every time I think I’ve seen the worst of man, I come face to face with something even more repulsive,” she softly replied, wrapping her arms around herself. “He’s going to use it on Kal, Bruce. Then he’ll turn it on every other Leaguer that gets in his way.”

Bruce’s eyes softened as he stood to his feet, coming to stand behind her. “It’ll be all right, Princess,” he reassured her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he leaned in. His nose nuzzled her hair, inhaling her scent that drove him wild. “We won’t let him get his hands on those documents. You said that Madeleine wasn’t going to let him have them until tonight after the party so we still have plenty of time.”

Diana’s eyes fell closed with the feel of him pressed against her back, her desire flaming anew. “And what about Selina? You know she’s going to do something to cause trouble.”

“She’s the least of our worries right now,” he uttered with a sigh. “We can always catch up with her later in Gotham if we need to. Our biggest concern is our thief and stopping Lex Luthor.”

“You’re right,” she agreed as she turned her head slightly, the corner of her lips curling slightly as thoughts of getting Bruce out of those clothes and inside of her took over her mind. “Care to help me out of this dress?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” he seductively murmured, his hands moving to remove the charmed necklace. “First, though, we need to get rid of this. I want to make love to my Diana, not Diana Prince.”

Diana readily agreed, tilting her head down and allowing him to remove the necklace. Taking it from him, she laid it on the bedside table. Bruce’s breath hitched as his fingers moved to the zipper of her dress, slowly pulling it down the length of her spine for her. He held his breath as the soft black dress of velvet and mesh gradually began to fall away from her body, revealing the smooth expanse of skin on her back.

Without another thought, he leaned forward to press butterfly kisses against the back of her neck, slowly trailing down her spine. His right hand slipped inside of her dress, coming to rest on her abdomen as his left hand worked his belt free from his pants. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he’d been thinking of doing this to her all day.

“I’ve been thinking of this all day,” he murmured as he kissed along her collarbone.

Diana’s head tilted back as his hand moved up beneath her dress to cup her breast, his slow sensual torture beginning to drive her crazy. “I’ve wanted you all day,” she breathlessly replied.

He pushed her dress off, allowing it pool on the floor at her feet and leaving her standing there in nothing by the lace panties that barely covered her. He was growing more aroused by the second, needing to be skin against skin with her again. This morning had been far too long ago, his need for her only intensifying since first making love with her.

His fingers ghosted along her sides as he pressed his forehead against the back of her head, his breath warm against her neck and causing her to shiver in anticipation of what he was going to do to her next. She swallowed hard, her breath sticking in her throat as both of his hands found her breasts. He pressed himself fully against her back, his mouth latching onto the junction where her neck and shoulder met as he tore her panties off.

She tilted her head back to rest against his shoulder as he continued to knead her flesh, gradually working her into a heated frenzy that he was more than anxious to satisfy. Her panting moans were making it more than difficult not to just throw her on the bed and take her, but he wanted to make her pleasure lasted for as long as he could possibly draw it out.

Diana had other ideas, though, abruptly turning in his arms so she could face him. Her mouth crashed into his and stole his breath, her tongue in a fierce battle for control with his. Retreating for air, she ripped his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere as she divested him of the rest of his clothes.

Breathing heavily, he gazed darkly into her eyes, the intensity of her passion for him setting his blood on fire. “You’re going to pay for that, Princess.”

Her only response was a smirk as she pressed her nude form against the length of his, her lips claiming his once more. Her fingers sought the edge of his boxers, making quick work of those as well. He broke the kiss, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed, his hand gripping hers and pulling her to follow him to the bed.

She smiled down at him as she came to stand before him, her hands cradling his face. “I’ve wanted this with you for so long,” she softly confessed, her emotions simmering right there beneath the surface for him to see and to touch. “I can still hardly believe this isn’t just a wonderful dream.”

Bruce turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand before meeting her eyes once more. “It’s real, Princess,” he reassured her as his hands settled on her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Diana moved to straddle his lap, her knees coming to rest on either side of his hips. His fingers dug into her flesh as she leisurely slid herself over him, taking every inch of him deep inside of her. She gasped sharply as he stretched her and filled her so very full all over again, her forehead pressing against his as she attempted to catch her breath with the overwhelming feelings that assaulted her.

“You feel…so…incredible,” he breathlessly murmured, tilting his head to kiss her deeply.

He carefully removed the pins from her raven hair, allowing it to tumble free and cascade down her shoulders and back as he continued to kiss and explore her mouth all over again. He stroked her back as he trailed nipping kisses along her throat before his mouth found her breast.

“Bruce…” she hissed his name, unable to articulate anything more at that moment as her fingers gripped his hair and held him to her as her eyes fell closed. Her head fell back with a throaty moan that only spurred him on.

Unbelievable pleasure shot through her veins and settled in her pelvis as she slowly rocked her hips, moving against him and creating a sweet friction that only served to excite him even more. Kissing him hard, she swallowed his groan as she moved at a deliberately tormenting pace that was making him near delirious with the passion that was threatening to consume him whole.

He couldn’t believe that he had denied himself this intense passion…this love…denied them both something that went so far beyond all imagining, beyond his most erotic fantasies about her. He knew he could never let her go now. She was too much a part of him, imprinted on his heart and in his soul.

He wrapped his arms around her, turning and pinning her to the mattress in one swift motion, looming above her and taking her with all that he felt inside for her. She cried out as he drove in and out of her, hungrily devouring her as he made love to her. 

All of his doubts and fears, all of the burdens and responsibilities that he carried, the undercover case they needed to solve—they all fell away as he lost himself in his princess. She was his and that’s all that mattered in the world to him now.

“Mine,” he repeatedly growled against her throat as he took her, his head spinning with the mind-blowing pleasure that coursed through his veins. Hearing her mewls of pleasure only excited him even further, forcing him to lose what little self-control he had been clinging to.

Climaxing, Diana cried out his name as he filled her with every bit of his hot seed. Lifting his head, he stared down into her face, her blue eyes clouded with euphoria that he had brought her. Lust and desire continued to linger there as well, arousing him all over again.

He gently traced the curve of her face, tucking her raven hair behind her ear. “You know you’re not going to get much sleep tonight, right?” he said with a smirk.

Diana smiled wickedly, wrapping her legs firmly around his waist and keeping her where she wanted him. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

**_Watchtower; October 9th, 01:37 EST_ **

Shayera silently slipped into the infirmary, more than anxious to see how John was doing. She’d been called out on a mission that had taken her away for most of the afternoon and evening, allowing her to return only an hour ago.

She didn’t want to wake him, but she needed to see him…needed to know that he was getting better. J’onn had told her that he thought that John would be released in a couple days. She hoped that that still held true. They had so much to talk about and work through now that they knew how the other felt.

Her future was finally looking brighter than it had in more months than she could begin to count. To know that her future actually included John again warmed her clear to her toes, making her feel as though she was actually walking two feet off the ground.

She swore to herself that she would do whatever it took to make it up to him, refusing to do anything to hurt him ever again. She still carried immense guilt for how things had ended between them up on that cliff. She would spend every day of her life to make up for hurting him.

Spotting John, Shayera made her way to him, quietly slipping into the empty chair at his bedside. He was sleeping soundly, looking better than he had when she’d seen him last. There were a few less wires now, a couple of monitors having been taken away that had no longer been needed.

It lifted her spirits some to see that he was doing better. Reaching out, she carefully adjusted his covers, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. She never would’ve dreamed when she’d first arrived on Earth that she would fall so hard or so wholly for another man.

She had always believed that Hro was her one true love, but then she’d met John. He had completely turned that notion upside down; managing to reach inside and steal her heart when she’d least expected it. He had definitely not been part of the plan when she’d come here, but now she knew she’d never have it any other way.

“Shay…”

His groggy voice cut through her thoughts and captured her attention. “I’m here,” she reassured him. “Do you need anything? Do I need to get the nurse or doctor?”

“No, I’m all right,” he insisted. “Just feeling sore.”

“I can call the nurse so you can have some more pain medicine.”

“No, I don’t want any,” he replied. “It knocks me out.”

“You need to sleep, though,” she told him.

“I think I’ve slept more than enough,” he said. “Besides, I’d rather talk to you than sleep. You were gone for a long time today.”

Shay’s lips curled slightly, pleased with the fact that he had missed her today. “I was on a mission that took forever. I just returned a little while ago.”

“Did everything go all right?” he asked, attempting to adjust his position in the bed, but finding a comfortable position was next to impossible. He pretty much hurt from head to toe, a groan escaping against his will with the movement.

“John,” Shay scolded him with a frown as she leapt to her feet, adjusting his pillows for him. “You are the most stubborn…frustrating man that I have ever met.”

“And those are just my good qualities,” he teased with a grin in an effort to disguise the pain that he was in.

Shayera rolled her eyes as she settled on the edge of his bed, pulling the covers up around him again. “You’re exasperating too,” she added. “A royal pain in the ass and—”

“And you still love me,” he interrupted her, taking her hand in his.

“Heaven help me, but yes I do…very much,” she admitted, looking at him through her long eyelashes.

“That’s good because I love you too…very much,” he replied, bringing their joined hands to lips, kissing her knuckles.

She bit at her bottom lip, wanting him more than anything right now, but she knew that it wasn’t going to happen for awhile. He needed time to recover and they still had things that needed to be worked out between them. She wasn’t about to go into this again until they had talked everything out.

She was no longer the same person that she had once been and she was certain that he had changed as well. She wanted to take things slow, mostly out of fear of destroying the fragile relationship that they were embarking into once again.

Sensing her tentativeness, John squeezed her hand, forcing her attention back to him. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” she replied with a small smile. “I just still can’t believe that you would love me after everything that’s happened.”

“I never stopped loving you, Shay,” he told her, the truth of his words reflecting in his coffee brown eyes. “I didn’t want you to leave.”

“I know, but I had to,” she insisted. “I had lost my way…lost myself. I needed time to figure out who I was and what I wanted with my life. Besides, the world needed time to heal and recover without being reminded of the invasion every time they saw me.”

“Where did you go after you left Gotham?” he asked, hurt lacing his voice. “I tried looking for you everywhere, but I couldn’t find you.”

She drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly through her nose as she thought about that difficult time. “I wandered for a bit…travelled here and there. I mostly avoided being around people, sticking to the woods or mountains.”

“Shay…” he murmured, his eyes shining brightly with the heartache he felt. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being out there in the world all by herself.

“It’s okay, John,” she attempted to reassure him. “I needed that time away. It was lonely, but it was what I had needed. If I ran into any people, I quickly left to keep from creating a scene.”

“Did you run into any violence or hostility against you?”

“Quite a bit,” she confessed, not wanting to do into any detail of those horrible instances at that moment. “I had a run-in with some farmers in a rural community. It was then I decided that I needed to go far away.”

John felt his throat tighten, somewhat fearful of what she was going to reveal next. “Where did you go, Shay?”

“I ended up with Dr. Fate and Inza,” she replied with a faint smile. “They took me in and let me stay there for as long as I needed while I tried to find my way again…decide what it was that I wanted to do. They were very good to me. There’s no way that I can repay them for the kindness they showed me.”

“I wish I could have been there for you,” he told her.

“I know, but we both needed time to heal and to decide what we both wanted in life,” she pointed out, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “Being away from you was the hardest part. While the hatred and hostility of the world towards me was very difficult, it paled in comparison to being away from you.”

John turned his head, pressing his lips against the palm of her hand. “I’m so sorry, Shay.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, John,” she insisted with a shake of her head, tucking a red lock behind her ear. “It’s all my fault. It’s my fault that I didn’t warn you all about what was coming…what was happening. I should have put a stop to it before…”

Her voice trailed off as tears filled her green eyes. There were so many things that she should’ve done differently. “Shay, please don’t beat yourself up,” he told her. “They were your people…your home. It’s understandable.”

“No…no, it’s not,” she insisted as a tear trickled down her cheek. “The League had become my family and Earth my home and I betrayed all of it, but I swear to you I’ll do everything I can to try to make up for it.”

“Listen to me, Shayera Hol,” John heatedly stated, sitting forward and immediately regretting the move. He cradled her face with his hands, making sure that he had her full attention. “You have nothing to make up for or prove to anyone. In the end, you helped us defeat your very own people and save the world.”

Her eyes fell closed as his lips met hers in soft caress, teasing them before finally deepening the kiss. She moaned as his tongue slid against hers, his fingers slipping up into her hair. She tilted her head, opening herself to him and praying that he didn’t stop.

He leaned back against the pillows, pulling her with him. She readily followed him, careful of his injuries as she rested against his body. They continued to kiss, reassuring one another of their presence and their love. They both wanted so much more with each other, but knew that it would have to wait.

Pulling back, Shayera gazed into his eyes, her hand gently stroking his cheek. “I love you, John,” she murmured. “That never changed…was never in question when I left to find myself. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you. My love for you was the only constant that I had left in my life…the only thing that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

His hand slipped around to the back of her neck, pulling her in for another tender kiss. “I missed you so much,” he whispered.

“I promise I’ll never walk away from you ever again,” she swore.

His lips curled into a smile, his dark eyes piercing. “Good,” he replied. “Because I’m not going to let you walk away from me ever again.”

“You need to get some rest,” she told him as she pulled away from him.

He grabbed her forearm, keeping her from leaving. “Sleep here with me tonight.”

With a smile on her lips, Shayera happily complied, settling in beside him in the hospital bed. She pressed her feminine curves against his side, her arm sliding over his chest to hold him close to her. Her head came to rest on his muscular chest as she drew a deep breath, savoring the feel of him in her arms once again.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her right where he wanted her. He tilted his head, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “I love you, Shay,” he murmured as he drifted off to sleep, feeling an absolute peace that had been missing for far too long.

She pressed a kiss to his chest, a smile of contentment on her face as she fell asleep. For the first time in a very long time, she felt whole and happy, her life complete. After all these months, she’d finally managed to find her way home.

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 02:32 GMT+1_ **

Alex paced the length of his suite, his hands clasped behind his back. He was completely lost in his thoughts, his brow furrowed. The auction was today, several items that he had his eye on being bid on by the countless guests.

There were a couple of sapphire necklaces that he was determined to get his hands on as well as several Egyptian pieces that he would love to add to his collection. After the party tonight, he was going to sneak into the converted ballroom and steal what he wanted. After that, he’d disappear into the night, everyone believing that he’d left early to return home. No one would be the wiser that it was he who had taken the pieces.

He couldn’t have worked things out more perfectly if he’d tried, Selina Kyle’s appearance helping to deflect any possible attention away from him. On top of that, Lex Luthor had decided to attend the event at the last minute, causing quite a stir. With both Catwoman and Luthor here, no one would ever suspect him of the theft now.

All fingers would be pointing solely at them while he made an inconspicuous escape. He just hoped that Annaliesa was able to take care of the other items that he’d stolen over the years, making sure they never saw the light of day again. It was time to move on with his life, to try to make his family proud of him for once in his life.

Thoughts of Hannah immediately invaded his mind, reminding him once more of what he wanted but needed to forget about. He found he missed her the longer they were apart. No other woman had ever had quite this affect on him before. He’d always been able to sleep with them and then move on, forgetting about them as he continued on with his heists.

Hannah, however, had somehow managed to invade his mind as well as his heart. He couldn’t help wondering if she ever thought of him. Did she hate him for what he’d done to her? Leaving her in the middle of the night like that without such much as a note or a phone call?

What would he even say to her if he ever saw her again? She had every right to hate him, refuse to ever talk to him again. She didn’t even know his real name, didn’t know the real him. Could she ever learn to truly love him or would she even want to now?

He paused before his bedroom window, gazing out over the expansive grounds. He needed to forget about Hannah and move on with his life, leaving this life of crime and danger far behind him. He was going to miss the thrill, the adrenaline rush that always accompanied every theft that he committed.

Alex glanced to his right, spotting the picture of him and Ava when they were nine years old. It was his favorite picture of the two of them. Tears instantly burned in his eyes. He missed her so much that it hurt, his fractured heart broken beyond repair.

He doubted there was anyone in this world that could ever help put him back together again. There was a part of him that hoped that Hannah could, but he had treated her badly. The chances of her giving him a second glance were slim to none.

He wished now that he could have met her after he’d given up his life of crime. Things could’ve been so much different, but now he needed to focus on the reason he was here. He moved to the table that held all of his equipment, sitting down and taking out his night vision goggles.

He couldn’t help thinking back to Gotham and the lingering desire to get inside of Wayne Manor. He knew that he had let that prospect pass him by, getting out of Gotham without having a run-in with the infamous vigilante Batman.

No, that opportunity would have to be left unrealized no matter how tempting the prospect was. He was very curious to find out what Bruce Wayne was keeping inside of that large manor that required such high-tech security. Unfortunately, he’d never find out.

He’d have to settle for what he’d come here for, his career officially ending come Monday morning. He’d done quite a bit of research on the security system they’d installed here at the castle, finding it to be quite advanced. It was high-tech, but not unbeatable.

Pulling out the map of the castle that he’d drawn, he studied it for the best place to make his move. He decided it would be most prudent to enter the converted ballroom from the floor above it. Thankfully, that wing of the castle was unoccupied save for the ballroom that held the countless antiques.

He found he could readily disable the security feed from the room above as well, crawling through the ductwork and then down through the ceiling of the ballroom. He could drop down into the room by a rope, get what he wanted and then use his rope to escape through the ceiling. 

After that, he’d enable the security system again, escaping into the night and returning home. The thought of returning home to that empty manor caused his throat to constrict, but he’d have to get used to it. There was no Ava to come home to anymore.

He was all alone in the world now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Things are really coming to head here soon. What will become of Alex? Will Lex get his hands on Excalibur? Bruce is still hiding a secret from Diana. What will happen when she finds out? Lots more coming!
> 
> UP NEXT: Diana knows that Bruce is keeping something from her and the auction is underway. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and reviewing! Who all is loving the Justice League hype and the possibilities of a little Wonderbat finally being realized?


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 08:04 GMT+1_ **

Diana stood beside the bed that she now shared with Bruce, running a brush through her long raven hair. Her thoughts were a tangled mess and her emotions a whirlwind that seemed bent on consuming her despite her best efforts. She was elated with the development in her relationship with Bruce, but she still had some nagging fears and worries that refused to leave her alone.

Laying her brush aside, she reached for the charm necklace lying on the bedside table, staring at it as she ran her thumb over the beautiful pendant. Thoughts of last night ran rampant through her mind, causing her to flush with the fierce passion they had shared. It had been a heated night of love making with Bruce, one that had only ended a scant few hours ago in order to allow them both to get some sleep before embarking on the last full day of their undercover mission.

She pulled her hair aside before putting on the necklace that would transform her looks, knowing that it was going to have to be her new secret identity from now on if she wanted to continue seeing Bruce. Here in England, things had been almost like a wonderful dream, separated from reality and their daily responsibilities. It was easy to forget at times that they were actually heroes and founders of the Justice League.

Here in this ancient castle, there was no Justice League, no Gotham, no Joker or Cheetah, no Wayne Enterprises or people pressing in all around her in order to meet Wonder Woman. Surprisingly, she found she enjoyed the anonymity that the charmed necklace had provided her, but she couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen when they finally returned to their real lives tomorrow.

What would become of their relationship when they returned to Gotham? Would Bruce turn his back on her…on the idea of them?

He had responsibilities not only as the head of Wayne Enterprises but as Gotham’s vigilante protector. Would he be willing to make room for her in his life or would he just push her away when they returned home like he’d done in the past to her when she had gotten too close to him?

It tore at her heart to think that he might end up refusing to acknowledge what had happened between them here over the last couple of days. She knew that he had asked her to move into the manor with him when they returned home, but she wasn’t so certain that offer would still hold true once Bruce was faced with the truth of his life in Gotham.

She was also struggling to understand what had actually changed his mind. What had caused him to go from pushing her away and keeping her at arms’ length to making love with her? She felt that it had to be connected to whatever he had encountered in the future during that mission to stop Chronos. It left her with a very uneasy feeling, one that refused to be quieted no matter how hard she tried to trust him.

He refused to even talk to her about it what had experienced in the future, but she had seen the fear that had flitted through his eyes when she had brought it up. She had noticed the near palpable terror that had gripped him when she had talked about how short life could be as well as her possible death.

Bruce must know about some future event that involved her, something that ended up taking her life. An icy chill rippled through her with the thought. She did not fear death in the least. It was something that had always been a possibility with the lives that they led and she had faced that possibility head-on a multitude of times. What she hated the most was the thought of being separated from Bruce.

She greatly feared what that future event might be that resulted in her departing for the Elysium Fields. She had no doubt whatsoever that she would die in battle, but how many other lives were going to be lost or irrevocably altered? Would any of their other teammates lose their lives? Would civilians? Would Bruce?

The thought made her ill to her core, stealing the breath from her lungs. She would do everything in her power to protect him…protect their teammates or the people of Earth…including giving up her own life. Whatever was coming, she was more than resolved that she would face like the Amazon warrior that she was, falling in battle before allowing Bruce to die.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he came to stand next to her, pressing his lips to her temple and drawing her out of her reverie.

Startled, Diana turned to look at him, not realizing that he was already done in the bathroom. His hair was wet, his skin glistening with tiny droplets of water. He had a bath towel wrapped securely around his waist, the dips and valleys of his muscular chest capturing her attention and awakening her longing for him all over again.

She smiled softly, doing her best to hide her worry that no doubt found its way to her face. It always did no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He had told her once he could always read her emotions by the expression on her face, commenting on the way a dip formed between her eyebrows when she was upset or the way her forehead creased when she was angry.

“Nothing,” she tried to brush it off with a shake of her head. “I didn’t realize you were done already.”

Bruce studied her a moment, not believing her in the least. “It would’ve been much more fun if you would’ve joined me in the shower,” he flirted.

She pursed her lips in an attempt to suppress her amusement with his flirtatious comment. “We have work to do today…remember?” she reminded him. “Besides, I thought you would’ve had more than enough of me last night.”

“I can never get enough of you, Princess,” he told her, his lips finding hers in what was meant to be a brief, chaste kiss.

The palms of her hands came to rest against the well-defined plains of his chest as she returned his kiss, retreating before it became too heated. “I’m glad to hear that.”

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, a frown forming on his lips. “What’s wrong?” he tried again. “I can tell something is bothering you.”

“I can’t help wondering what’s going to happen to Alex,” she said as she turned away from him, not wanting him to know that she had just lied to him.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, forcing her to face him. “You don’t believe that Alex deserves to pay for his crimes?” he questioned her, knowing that she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.

Something else was clearly upsetting her, something that she didn’t want to talk to him about. It caused him to worry that maybe she wasn’t happy about being with him, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Last night, she had more than proven that she loved him and she had fully proven it several times.

“Yes, I think he should, but I still feel bad for him,” she admitted, moving to sit down on the couch as Bruce began to get dressed, admiring his perfect form as he pulled his towel off. “He reminds me so much of you in many ways. He’s been through such heartache and loss in his life…far more than anyone should have to go through. Now, he’s lost his disabled twin sister.”

“So you’re saying that you understand now why he chose a life of crime?” he prodded her, interested in her reasoning as he pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and dress pants.

“I do,” she thoughtfully replied with a nod as she crossed her legs. “I really believe he was just desperately trying to fill the void that his parents’ death had left in his life. Think about it, Bruce. Ava was all that he had left after he lost his parents and she was never the same again after that accident.

“We already established that whoever was behind this had a woman at the heart of the thefts, someone that he obviously loved dearly. He was stealing for Ava, bringing her back presents that he hoped would help her and make her happy. If that’s not heartbreaking, I don’t know what is.”

Buttoning his dress shirt, Bruce made his way to the couch, sitting down next to her. His gaze fell on the files of research that he’d brought with him as well as his open laptop. He actually found himself agreeing with Diana about Alex, understanding all too well why he did the things that he had done.

“The hardest part about meeting Alex was finding out how much my life actually parallels his. I could have so easily ended up going down that very same road that he did,” Bruce admitted, his brow knitting together in thought.

“You didn’t, though, Bruce,” she reminded him, taking his hand and lacing her fingers with his. “You have become a man that your parents would be so proud of.”

“I hope so,” he murmured, turning to meet her gaze. “Don’t worry, Princess. I already have an idea about what to do about Alex.”

“What plan do you have in mind?” she questioned him with a frown.

“I just have a few things to work out first and then I’ll tell you about it.”

“Fine,” she relented. “What is the plan for today?”

Like the flip of a switch, Bruce turned into full Bat-mode as he reached for several papers lying on the table. “These are the items that I would like to bid on for the Gotham Museum,” he instructed her. “I’ve written the limit that I’m willing to spend on each of these items.”

Diana took the papers from him, reviewing them so she could get them firmly set in her mind. “Bruce, this is very generous of you.”

“My parents were patrons of the Gotham Museum,” he revealed, his tone reflective in nature. “They often donated items to the museum so the people of Gotham could see and enjoy them. It’s a tradition that I try to continue as often as I can.”

Diana smiled, pride and love reflecting in her eyes. “I’ll do what I can to make this happen.”

“Next, these are the two auctions that will be taking place at the same time in the ballroom,” he reviewed with her, showing her the map of the ballroom and how it was going to be set up. “After all the items are sold, they’ll move on to the next two sets to be auctioned off until all the collections are gone. 

“They’re going to start with the Greek antiquities on the east side of the room and gems will be auctioned on the west side. Callum gave this to me yesterday so we could decide where we wanted to focus our attentions on.”

“Why are they having two auctions going at the same time?”

“Because if they didn’t we’d still be here next week,” he informed her. “It was the only way to get through all of the collections in one day.”

“What are you going to be doing?” she asked as she reviewed the map and the order of the collections being auctioned.

“I’m going to be keeping an eye on Lex Luthor,” he told her. “I’m not hundred percent convinced that he’s only here for the Excalibur plans. There could be more going on that we don’t know about yet.”

“And what about Alex and Selina?”

“I’m not as worried about them during the auction,” he revealed. “They aren’t going to be making any overt moves in front of everyone. They’ll be waiting until tonight when everyone’s partying or asleep. They do their best work in the dark.”

“I still don’t like the idea of Selina being here or the way that she’s attached herself to Alex,” Diana confessed with a scowl.

“I agree, but there’s not much we can do about it right now,” he said. “Besides, Alex is a big boy. He can take care of himself.”

Diana sighed heavily. “I know, but, even after all that he’s done, I don’t want to see him get hurt. He’s endured more than enough suffering without Selina sinking her claws into him only to toss him aside later, leaving him with a broken heart.”

“Do you have a soft spot for thieves, Princess?” he asked with a frown.

“No, just for brooding men who dress like a bat and swings from rooftops by a rope,” she told him.

The corner of Bruce’s lips twitched with her response. “It’s a grappling line, not a rope,” he corrected her. “So are you going to drop me when I’m too old to be Batman? Move on to whoever takes over the cape and cowl.”

“No, there’s only one Batman for me,” she promised him.

“It better stay that way,” he nearly growled as he stood to his feet. “Now, let’s go see what trouble we can get ourselves into today.”

_**Vanover Castle; October 9th, 08:30 GMT+1** _

Selina made her way through the castle towards the ballroom where the auction was taking place, her thoughts on things other than the diamonds and gems that would be going up for sale. Instead, her mind was consumed with Bruce Wayne.

She had told herself yesterday that she was going to let him go, refusing to be there when he crawled back to her. She wasn’t going to be spending her time pining over him while he was busy bedding the Amazon. She had her dignity after all.

Unfortunately, her active imagination wouldn’t let her sleep last night, keeping her up pacing her bedroom. She kept thinking about Bruce in bed with that stuck-up princess, doing things to each other that she should be doing with him.

It caused her fingers to curl into her palms, her jaw clenching tightly. She knew that Bruce told her that they weren’t good for each other and that she needed to move on, but it was proving far harder to do than she had first thought especially with him being so close. They needed each other.

“The kitty looks like she wants to dig her claws into someone’s jugular.”

Selina cursed under her breath as she looked up to find Luthor coming towards her from her right. She sneered at him in greeting, not even attempting to hide her disdain for the villain. “Be careful or you might find yourself on the receiving end.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked as he fell in step beside her. “Someone steal your toy?”

“You could say that…not that it’s any of your business,” she muttered, refusing to make eye contact with him as she continued walking.

Luthor chuckled softly as they made their way towards the ballroom. “I’m surprised at you, Selina,” he commented, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. “I thought for sure that you of all people wouldn’t allow someone to steal your ball of yarn.”

Selina turned a furious glower on him, not in the mood to deal with him right now. “You really need to learn to wear a hat, Lex. The glare from your bald head is blinding.”

“Don’t wave your claws at me just because you lost your scratching post,” Lex bit out.

“Quite with the cat quips already,” she snapped. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Obviously,” he muttered. “I think someone needs to declaw you.”

Selina grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to a stop. “Keep it up and I’ll do more than sink my claws into you,” she hissed. “I’ll begin by removing body parts and you won’t like where I plan on starting first.”

Luthor watched as Selina glanced down at his crotch. He folded his arms against his chest with a bored expression gracing his face. “I’d like to see you try,” he challenged her. “Anyway, I’m here for far more important business than trading barbs with a two-bit felon like you.”

“Why you little—” Selina began to spat out, closing the distance between them.

“Good morning, Lex…Selina,” Bruce coolly greeted the pair, immediately noting the heated tension that permeated the hallway. Selina looked to be about two seconds away from ripping Lex’s heart out. While the idea was tempting, he knew he couldn’t allow it to happen.

Both turned to find Bruce and Diana walking towards them, holding hands and raising Selina’s hackles more than they already were. They were the perfect picture of a couple utterly in love. It made her want to scratch Diana’s eyes out before taking Bruce and reminding him why he needed her…why he’d always want her. No one could make him come hard like she could.

“Bruce…Diana,” Lex pleasantly greeted the couple. His greeting was incongruous with the loathing that permeated his eyes. “Ready for a battle of the pocketbooks?”

“I’m more than prepared to take home what I came for,” Bruce reassured him.

“As am I,” Luthor cryptically replied, his attention settling longingly on Diana.

“What is it that you came here for, Mister Luthor?” Diana innocently asked him.

A lecherous smile spread across his face as he looked Diana up and down. “Actually, I came here for more than just what is up for auction,” he cockily replied.

“And what would that be?” she asked with feigned interest, using his attraction to her as a weapon to hopefully get some more information that he might accidently let slip. One thing she’d learned from being in Man’s World was the fact that men loved to talk and arrogant men loved to brag…especially when there was a woman willing to listen to them.

“It’s something that not even your boyfriend could afford to buy,” he revealed, glancing at Bruce with derision. “There are some things in this world that are far more important than priceless works of art or rare antiquities.”

“What would that be?” she questioned him.

“Power,” Lex said with a smirk.

His answer caused the find hairs on the back of Diana’s neck to prickle. She should have ignored Bruce and broken this narcissistic excuse for a human being when she’d had the chance. She could tell that Bruce knew what she was thinking by the way he gently squeezed her hand in an attempt to placate her.

“Well, as cozy as this little gathering is, I do believe that the auction will be starting soon,” Selina interjected. “If you’ll excuse me, there are a few diamond jewelry pieces that I’m dying to get my hands on.”

Selina gave Bruce a pointed look, her eyes narrowing as if to say “catch me if you can”. She leveled Diana with a deadly glare before turning on her heel and walking away. Bruce ground his teeth, wishing there was something he could do to convince her to give up her thieving ways, but deep down he knew that was just wishing thinking. Even if she did change her ways, he would never go back to her. He’d found what he’d needed all along and he was going to do everything in his power to hold on to her.

“Shall we?” Bruce said to Diana. “Good luck, Lex.”

Lex just watched after them as they continued on towards the ballroom, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. He began to follow the couple from a distance, growing more anxious by the minute. Come midnight tonight, he would finally have what he would need to destroy Superman and the Justice League. They wouldn’t have any idea what had hit them until it was far too late to do anything about it.

He got in line behind Bruce and Diana, waiting his turn to register and obtain a numbered paddle. There wasn’t much here that he was truly interested in save for the documents that he’d come for, but he was going to have to keep up appearances as a legitimate buyer today to deflect any suspicion. 

He needed to do his best to lay low and not draw too much attention to himself. There were enough people who looked at him with distrust in their eyes because of his past, but now he was trying to recreate himself, portray the legitimate business man who had found the straight and narrow.

He smirked to himself as he thought about the repentant façade that he had been working so hard to cultivate. People really were so gullible, believing just about anything that they were told without really digging beneath the superficial surface they were shown. Pretty soon, he’d have this world eating out of his hand.

Lex spotted Madeline standing off to the side talking to someone. She glanced at him; giving him a sexy little smile that Diana took notice of. She felt nauseated watching them make eyes at each other. She sent a silent prayer to Hera for an extra dose of patience.

Turning towards Bruce, she captured his lips in a kiss, taking him by surprise. It took him a moment to respond, but he returned it in full. “Good luck,” she murmured to him before making her way towards the Greek exhibit that was going to be auctioned first.

“You too,” he murmured.

Luthor grumbled something crude under his breath as he shoved past Bruce who had to keep himself from delivering a right hook at the villain. It was beyond difficult, though. He followed close behind him, wishing for the hundredth time the criminal mastermind wasn’t here. He was only adding to the headache of trying to catch Alex.

Entering the ballroom, Bruce quickly scanned the expansive room as was his typical routine. He always wanted to know where everyone was at, how the room was arranged and where all the exits were. He had learned long ago that he could never be too prepared for every eventuality. His paranoia was what had kept him alive this long.

He’d much rather have spent the day with Diana, bidding on artifacts and pieces for the Gotham Museum. Instead, he was tailing Lex Luthor to make sure there was nothing else that he was after here besides the Excalibur documents.

Bruce was still finding it hard to believe that Alfred had known Leo Vanover and had never mentioned that fact the whole time he’d been preparing to leave for England. Of course, Alfred was like Fort Knox when it came to his time in the British Secret Service. 

The fact that he had told Diana and him stories of his adventures during that time before they had left for England had been surprising to say the least. At the time, he’d believed that Alfred was only doing it in order to force him to have dinner with Diana, but now he was beginning to wonder if maybe he was trying to drop hints.

While the stories he’d shared had been on the humorous side, there were a couple of stories in particular that Alfred had told about himself and a fellow agent that he had referred to as “Mantis”. He couldn’t help wondering if maybe that was a code name of Vanover’s.

Now, he was going to have to focus on this Excalibur before Luthor could get his hands on the blueprints. Checking with Oracle, Bruce had found out that Madeleine Sandoval had actually reached out to Lex Luthor, letting him know about Excalibur’s existence.

Barbara had also uncovered some rather shady dealings by Sandoval that she had managed to escape jail time for, but still did not shed a very good light on her. The fact that Leo Vanover had retained her in his service didn’t make any sense to him, but Vanover had been very advanced in age. It could have been that his senses had left him in the last few years, leaving him unaware of what his personal attorney had been up to.

Bruce kept his eyes on Luthor, staying far enough behind so as not to appear suspicious. He definitely didn’t want to draw any attention to himself or alert Sandoval that anyone was on to them and their little plan. That’s the last thing they needed right now.

He watched as Luthor stopped at the auction taking place for the gems and jewelry. His arms were folded, his gaze narrowed. It was obvious that Luthor wasn’t interested in bidding on any of these items, further sparking Bruce’s suspicions and curiosity.

Sandoval stood off to the side of the gathered crowd, casting occasional glances at Luthor who paid her no heed. He was sure that wasn’t going to set well with the attorney, especially since Luthor had bedded her last night. Women didn’t take too lightly to being ignored after a sexual encounter like that.

He could see her agitation growing by the second, but was trying her best not to lose her cool. She moved over to talk to one of the male guests, obviously trying to prick Luthor’s jealousy. It didn’t appear that Lex was even paying any attention at that moment, unaware or indifferent to her actions.

Bruce smiled to himself. This partnership between Luthor and Sandoval was growing more tenuous by the minute. If Lex didn’t watch himself, Madeleine just might be looking for someone else to sell the Excalibur blueprints to. 

His gaze flickered to Alex and Selina who were sitting off the right and a few rows ahead of him. They did appear to be rather cozy which did not sit well with him in the least. It wasn’t out of jealousy that he didn’t like it. It was because he knew Selina. She was manipulative at best and Alex could be easy prey after losing his sister just last week.

On the other hand, his doppelganger may just harden his heart, refusing to let anyone get close to him. It was what Bruce had always done over the years in order to protect himself and his heart from having to suffer any more hurt, shielding himself from the pain.

A diamond necklace came to the platform for bidding, Selina’s paddle quickly going up with the opening bid of ten thousand dollars. Things swiftly escalated from there, the bidding narrowing down to just two individuals—Selina and a man on the other side of the crowd.

Selina shot him a dark glare which he promptly ignored, clearly refusing to back down. The price for the necklace continued to soar, Selina finally being forced to concede defeat. He knew that she was not going to take the loss very well. She was probably already plotting ways to get her hands on it tonight.

The next item that came up for bid was a diamond and sapphire necklace that Alex Bristow immediately jumped on. The bidding built gradually this time, Alex ultimately winning the necklace at the whopping price of what turned out to be fifty thousand American dollars after nearly fifteen tenuous minutes of vigorous bidding. 

Looking over to his right, Bruce spotted Diana bidding on a Greek vase that he was anxious to get his hands on for the Gotham Museum. She seemed to be doing very well as other bidders began dropping away as the price escalated. He also wanted her to win the ceremonial dagger that she had seen yesterday that reminded her of her own that she’d left behind on Themyscira.

The corner of his lips ticked up as Diana won the vase, the look of elation on her face warming his heart. Her excitement was contagious as she talked animatedly to Emily and Spencer who had joined her, Emily hugging her in congratulations. Even though this was an undercover mission, he knew that she was thoroughly enjoying the auction itself, being able to help preserve some of these priceless artifacts.

Bruce turned his focus back to Luthor who was already on the move. He discretely backed away from the seated guests at the jewelry auction, turning slightly to better be able to keep track of Luthor without having to actually follow him. Unfortunately, he seemed to be making his way towards the Greek artifacts and Diana.

He forced himself to keep his feet planted firmly right where he was standing, knowing that Diana could handle herself. Despite what he had told her earlier about not worrying too much about Selina and Alex, he still wanted to keep close tabs on them. He didn’t trust anyone here save for Diana.

Selina raised her numbered paddle on an antique diamond bracelet and earring set. He had to admit that he was actually a little surprised that she was trying to obtain these pieces the legal way instead of just trying to steal them like she routinely did. Of course, that didn’t mean that she still wouldn’t be trying something later tonight.

Bruce’s attention was instantly captured by the sound of shouting. He turned to find a man and a woman yelling and cursing over the bidding on a Greek marble statue. Things were rapidly spiraling out of control as they started shoving each other, forcing several security guards to intervene. The two guests were quickly escorted out of the ballroom and would likely not be allowed back inside any time soon.

Diana turned to look at Bruce finding him watching her. She favored him with a warm smile that caused a fierce flutter in the pit of his stomach. It was something that she’d always been able to do, but now it held far more meaning to him after making love with her. He found it served to further stir his longing for her, causing him to miss the feel of her in his arms.

This was going to be a very long day.

**_Watchtower; October 9th, 05:35 EST_ **

Shayera grabbed her mace before racing from her quarters with a scowl on her lips, knowing that time was of the essence. She hated these early morning missions that woke her out of a dead sleep, but then again that was the life of a rookie in the Justice League. 

They were typically chosen first, paired with a couple of seasoned team members and then a founder if the situation called for it or if one was available. She had been told that Superman would be meeting her in transport three which meant it was not necessarily going to be an easy mission.

She flew towards the transport room, thankful that the hallways were empty for the most part at this time of morning. Entering, she came to an abrupt stop when she saw her waiting teammates. Standing there ready for transport with Superman was none other than Vixen and Cyborg. 

Shayera cursed under her breath, wishing that they had chosen someone else for this particular mission. This was going to be beyond awkward to say the least after everything that had just happened. Of course, not many were aware of the fact that John and Vixen had just broken up. Still, it should not be an issue. That was personal. This was work.

“Are we ready to go?” Superman asked, his usual jovial expression on his face.

Shayera had no idea how the Man of Steel could be so cheerful this early in the morning. She rarely if ever saw him truly angry, but when he was everyone usually ducked for cover. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” the Thanagarian responded, casting a fleeting glance at Mari who was staring straight ahead of her with her hands on her hips.

“Where are we headed?” Cyborg asked.

“Metropolis,” Superman informed them. “Bizarro, Livewire, Parasite, and Volcana are wreaking havoc.”

“When aren’t they,” Vixen muttered with a huff. “Let’s get to it then.”

All four heroes stepped onto the transporter, Mister Terrific entering the coordinates. “Good luck,” he told them before sending them to stop the criminal group.

They disappeared in a burst of bright light only to reappear in the next second in the heart of Metropolis to find several cars and a couple of buildings on fire. “This is not good,” Cyborg muttered as they surveyed the scene before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WHOA! Poor Shayera! That is not going to be a fun mission. How will Bruce and Diana end up dealing with Alex and what trouble is Selina going to cause?
> 
> UP NEXT: Shayera is forced to fight side by side with Vixen and it's the night of the big party. Who is going to get lucky and who is going to get caught?
> 
> Thank you all for reading and reviewing! You guys are the best BMWW fans around. :)


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

**_Metropolis; October 9th, 05:42 EST_ **

Black clouds of smoke filled the air as flames shot up into the sky from several burning vehicles as well a jewelry store and a bank. It was obvious that Volcana had created a distraction in order to allow them to pick up what they had come here for.

“There!” Superman yelled, pointing at Bizarro and Parasite coming out of the bank with bags of money in their hands.

“I’ve got Livewire,” Shayera announced, taking to the air to take on the female villain who was wearing a diamond necklace as well as several diamond bracelets on her arms.

A blast of fire shot past Vixen, narrowly missing her by inches. She spun on her heel to find Volcana preparing for another attack. “Bring it, hot stuff,” Vixen taunted her, channeling her powers into a lion.

Dodging blasts of fire, she charged at Volcana, slamming directly into her and knocking her to the ground. Using her paws, she pinned the pyromaniac down. Star Sapphire exited the same jewelry store as Livewire, firing at Vixen and knocking her off Volcana. Vixen slammed hard into a truck, shaking her head in an effort to remain conscious.

Shayera swooped in, grabbing Vixen by the arms and flying her out of harm’s way just as Volcana and Sapphire unleashed their powers on the spot where Mari had just been a second ago. Shayera gently set her down out of the way. “Stay here and recover,” she told Mari before swiftly taking to the air again to deal with the supervillains.

Mari rubbed the back of her head, somewhat stunned by Shayera’s actions. While she appreciated the Thanagarian’s save, she wasn’t about to sit out of this fight for any reason. Getting to her feet, she channeled the energy of a panther, stealthily sneaking her way back into the brawl unbeknownst to Volcana who had her hands full with Shayera and her mace at that particular moment.

Shayera deftly blocked each blast of fire, redirecting it as she inched her way closer. “Give it up, Volcana,” she warned her. “You’re not going to win this time.”

“I believe we already have,” Volcana taunted her with a smug grin. “You see we’re just the distraction meant to keep you guys busy. The real crime is actually going down at S.T.A.R. Labs. Sinestro and Copperhead should be finishing up there as we speak.”

“Did you hear that, Superman?” Shayera asked.

“Loud and clear,” he told her. “I just took care of Bizarro. I’m heading to S.T.A.R. Labs.”

“Copy that,” she said. “We’ll finish it here.”

“Parasite is down for the count,” Cyborg relayed. “I’m going to help Supes. You ladies good?”

“We’ll be just fine,” Shayera replied, spotting Vixen inching closer to an unsuspecting Volcana. It looked like they were going to be finishing this fight together.

Shayera turned at the last second, blocking a blast from Star Sapphire. With a warrior’s cry, she flew straight at her, swinging her mace and narrowly missing taking her out. Sapphire spun in the air, firing at both Shayera and Vixen who was about to pounce on Volcana.

Vixen dodged the blast at the last second, rolling to the side before lunging at Volcana who spun on her heel. Vixen lunged at her, pinning her down and knocking the air from her lungs, but not the fight from her spirit. Volcana wasn’t about to go down so easily.

“Time to go, kitty,” Volcana mocked her, throwing Vixen off her.

Mari gracefully landed on all fours, touching her necklace and channeling a polar bear. She swiftly charged at Volcana who was trying to avoid a mace to the side of her skull from an angry Thanagarian. She slammed hard into Volcana’s back, throwing her to the ground once more.

“Stay down,” Vixen growled, her large paws keeping Volcana’s arms pinned down.

“Get off me!” Volcana yelled, doing her best to wiggle free, but it was futile with a large polar bear sitting on her back.

“What are your cohorts after at S.T.A.R. Labs?” Vixen demanded to know.

“I’m not telling you any more,” Volcana snapped.

“Fine,” Vixen stated, glancing at Shayera who was tangling with Star Sapphire.”Have it your way, but we will get it out of one of you.”

Shayera released a roar of rage as she charged at Sapphire, blocking each of her blasts with her mace. She’d had more than enough of this. She swung her mace, connecting with Sapphire’s head and knocking her out. The female villain fell out of the sky, landing hard on the top of a car.

Shayera flew towards Vixen, landing on the ground next to her. “You good?” she asked, Vixen.

“Yah…thanks,” Vixen reluctantly replied, finding it wasn’t as hard to work with Shayera as she had thought it was going to be. “Here they come.”

Shayera looked up to find Superman and Cyborg returning already, Sinestro and Copperhead in hand. “Looks like your little plan didn’t work out,” she told Volcana.

“This isn’t over,” she angrily countered. “We’ll be back.”

“And we’ll be there to stop you,” Vixen said as she pulled the villain to her feet before handing her over to the police.

“I’ll make sure they get locked up,” Superman told them before flying over to scoop up an unconscious Sapphire.

Shayera turned to walk away, ready to return to the Watchtower when Vixen stopped her. “Thanks for the backup,” Vixen told her.

Shayera turned to look at her, somewhat taken aback by her gratitude. “Any time,” she replied with a small smile.

“Take good care of John,” Vixen said.

“I plan to,” Shayera agreed, feeling a little uncomfortable about the direction this conversation was taking.

Vixen stared at her a moment longer, her hands coming to rest on her hips. “Don’t hurt him again or you and I will be having a very ugly confrontation.”

Shayera stiffened with her threat. “I never meant to hurt him the first time,” the Thanagarian confessed as she averted her eyes. “I plan on doing everything in my power to make it up to him.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Vixen said with a satisfied nod. “I’d wish you two the best, but I’m not quite there yet.”

Shayera couldn’t help but chuckle in response. “I would’ve said the same thing to you just last week.”

“Want to get some breakfast?”

“Sure,” Shayera agreed, tapping her commlink. “Watchtower…two for transport.”

_**Vanover Castle; October 9th, 18:03 EST** _

Bruce kissed along Diana’s neck to her shoulder, the feel of the warm water sluicing over them only adding to the excitement that she stirred deep within him. His left hand rested on top of hers against the shower wall, his other hand splayed low over her pelvis to keep her right where he wanted her as she murmured pleading demands for more of him. 

Her knees nearly buckled as he readily complied with her demands for more, her intense release seizing hold of her as she braced herself. He kept her pinned there against the shower wall as he continued to pump into her, locking her in the throes of a second orgasm that nearly caused her to collapse from the intense pleasure that shot like bolts of lightning through her entire body.

She swore he was going to rend her in two as he finally came with a strangled cry, his entire body bowing as he slammed his hips into her one more time. Gasping heavily, he pressed his forehead against the back of her head, his fingers lacing with hers against the wall as he placed kisses along her shoulder.

After several long moments, Bruce was finally able to form coherent thoughts and sentences once more, his breathing starting to return to normal. He released his hold on her, reluctantly pulling out of her. He never wanted to leave this room, but he knew they had work to do today. This heated tryst in the shower with her was going to have to hold him over until their investigation was complete.

“Bruce,” Diana breathlessly uttered his name, trying to regain some semblance of control over her body again. She turned in his arms, her mouth claiming his in a heated kiss before finally pulling back. “That was…wow.”

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again, pulling wet strands of raven hair away from her flushed face. “I never dreamed that I’d only want so much more of you after finally having you.”

Bruce began to kiss behind her ear, his fingers skating over her wet skin. “You know we really should get ready for the party,” she attempted to remind him as her fingers wrapped around his upper arms, tilting her head as he devoured her.

“That’s what I was trying to do until someone decided to join me in the shower,” he claimed between nipping kisses along her jaw.

Diana’s lilting laughter echoed in the shower as Bruce pulled her nude form flush against him, his hands settling on her hips he kissed her into silence, but only briefly. Her hands found his backside, giving him a firm squeeze of appreciation for his chiseled physique that could actually rival a Greek god’s.

“I believe that you have it backwards, Mister Wayne,” she corrected him. “I was the one who was in the shower when someone decided to join me. One moment I’m washing my hair and the next I’m bracing myself against the shower wall.”

He smirked as he pulled a wet lock of hair away from her cheek. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” he innocently maintained, but there was absolutely nothing innocent about the way that he was currently staring at her.

“For me or the shower?”

“Both…well, more so for you,” he confessed. “The thought of you in here naked and wet and all alone was just far too hard for me to ignore, Princess.”

“I know just how hard you were,” she teased him, her lips and tongue tracing over a scar on his shoulder.

“I can’t help it,” he claimed. “You’ve always had an overwhelming effect on me, Princess. A man can only hold out for so long before his hunger demands to be satisfied.”

“You are so full of it,” she told him with a chuckle, enjoying the feel of the hot water raining down on them as well as the feel of his hard body pressed against hers.

“I like it best when you’re full of me,” he huskily flirted, pausing to nibble on her earlobe.

Diana turned her head, capturing his mouth in a heated kiss. “I like it too,” she confessed as she brushed her lips against his.

“We probably should get ready for the party…don’t you think?” he suggested, brushing his lips lightly against hers.

She returned his kiss only to pull away much to their mutual disappointment. “After we catch Luthor and Alex, we can do this all over again,” she reminded him. “You can have your way with me to your heart’s content.”

Bruce groaned with the thought. “You know we’re not going to have as much time together like this once we return home,” he pointed out, disappointment weighing down his heart.

“We’ll just have to make sure we make time for each other,” she replied, reaching for the body wash and washcloth.

“You know how well that will work,” Bruce grumbled. “Our lives have a tendency to get rather messy.”

“So are you going to tell me what you’re going to do about Alex?” she asked, deciding it was best to change the subject and focus on the real reason they were here in the first place.

“I will after the party tonight,” he revealed. “We can just relax and enjoy the party for a couple of hours and then we’ll need to get to work.”

“I’m anxious to get this wrapped up with so we can go home,” she admitted, her expression pensive. 

She wondered how much things were actually going to change when they returned home...how much Bruce had truly changed this weekend. Would he still want her when he was back in Gotham or push her away like he usually did? 

She couldn’t help worrying about it despite his reassurances now. There was also the unspoken subject that Bruce refused to even discuss. She knew there was some sort of future event that he had learned about concerning her, but getting him to talk to her about it was next to impossible.

Bruce could tell there was something going on that she wasn’t talking about, but it would have to wait until later. They needed to finish getting ready for the party. He needed to make sure that everything went according to plan tonight. If it did, he was going to take down three criminals in one night.

_**Vanover Castle; October 9th, 19:33 EST** _

Alex’s gaze drifted over the crowd as he sipped his champagne, not wanting to get blinding drunk, but needing a little something to help him relax. He needed to keep his focus tonight. He couldn’t afford to lose his edge or his last night as a thief would end in complete disaster.

He rather despised the notion of spending the next twenty to twenty-five years in jail. He was accustomed to a certain way of life, one that didn’t include a striped jumpsuit and spending twenty three hours of a day all alone in a six by eight foot cell.

“You don’t strike me as a wallflower, Mister Bristow,” Selina said as she came to stand beside the handsome Englishman.

Amused, Alex glanced at the feline thief standing to his right, appropriately dressed all in black. “What do I strike you as?” he inquired, almost afraid of the answer, but too intrigued not to ask.

Selina took a sip of her wine before responding, a Cheshire smile spreading across her face. “Someone who is itching to get out of here.”

He chuckled softly in amusement as he caught Bruce and Diana’s arrival to the party. He was beginning to think they weren’t going to make it tonight, choosing rather to stay in for the evening. “I am quite anxious to return home,” he coyly confessed. “There are some things that I need to take care of.”

“Like finding a place to put your recent acquisitions?” she asked, her gaze following the newly arrived couple.

“I actually didn’t purchase that many items for myself today,” he admitted with a frown. “I picked up a couple of statues and a Monet.”

“That’s not what I’m referring to,” Selina countered.

“Selina—” he began with a heavy sigh.

“Don’t Selina me,” she scolded him. “You can play coy all you want, but I know who really are, Alex.”

“Let’s just say for one minute that I am a thief,” he told her. “Why in the world would I try to pull a heist here of all places? I mean look at all of these people. Not to mention, they have the best security in the world surrounding the antiquities. Only an imbecile would be so bold as to try something like that.”

“So what time are you planning on making your move?”

“Selina, I’m not who you think I am,” he heatedly snapped. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to speak with Bruce and Diana.”

Selina sneered as Alex walked away from her, leaving her standing there all alone. Despite his adamant denials, she was still convinced that he was the thief that Bruce had been chasing. She had to admit, though, it was a pretty risky undertaking, one that would definitely be tempting to a thrill-seeker. She had a feeling that’s exactly the kind of thief that Alex was.

Alex worked his way through the crowded room, finally finding Bruce and Diana a table sitting all alone and chatting softly. “Mind I join you?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Diana warmly said. “We were just talking about the auction today. Were you able to purchase very many items?”

“Actually, I was able to procure several items that my clients requested,” Alex informed them. “How about the two of you?”

“I was able to win bids on several items that Bruce wants to donate to the Gotham Museum,” Diana revealed. “The hardest part of the entire day was trying to get Bruce away from the antique car auction.”

“Vanover had the best collection of cars I’ve ever seen,” Bruce replied, a frown forming on his face. “It took great restraint to walk away from that nineteen sixty-four Ferrari.”

“I heard it went for well over twenty-six million,” Alex told them.

“It’s not like you don’t have a whole fleet of cars at your disposal at home,” Diana reminded him, patting his hand in sympathy.

“Yes, but not a nineteen sixty-four Ferrari,” he grumbled.

Alex chuckled softly. He found he greatly enjoyed spending time with this couple despite the fact that he would never win Diana’s heart. He still had a small crush on her though thoughts of Hannah continued to surface in his mind at any given moment. He couldn’t help wondering what she was doing right now.

Alex noticed how Diana’s countenance grew rigid; causing him to look around to see what was going on. He spotted Lex Luthor coming their way, quickly deducing he was the source of her ire. He’d heard how Luthor and Diana had gotten into a rather nasty bidding match today over a Greek statue, Diana coming out the victor in the end.

A cocky smirk was plastered on Luthor’s face as he came to stand at their table. “Bruce…Diana,” he cordially greeted them, his gaze locked on Diana. “I hope there are no hard feelings about today, Diana. I had a very hard time letting that statue of Aphrodite go.”

“No, not all,” she icily replied. “It’s an exquisite marble statue. I can see why you became attached to it.”

“Yes, well I guess the better man won…or should I say woman,” he said with a leer that made her skin crawl.

“You can visit it any time you want to, Lex,” Bruce cut in, his hand coming to rest on Diana’s thigh beneath the table in an effort to soothe her fury. “It’ll be in the Gotham Museum for the public to enjoy.”

“I would’ve preferred it in my living room, but you win some and you lose some,” he uttered with a carefree shrug.

“Were you able to win the bid on any other items?” Diana asked.

“Yes…as a matter of fact, I bought the nineteen sixty-four Ferrari,” he revealed, his gaze settling on Bruce, his smirk growing. “I know you were interested in her, Bruce. If you’re ever in Metropolis, stop by. I’ll let you take her for a spin.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Bruce coolly stated.

“If you’ll excuse me, there’s my date for the evening,” Luthor indicated with a nod towards Madeleine Sandoval.

Diana winced as she watched him walk away, memories of hearing those two last night making her stomach churn. It was something she definitely didn’t want to hear ever again. “I’ll be happy to be away from him come tomorrow,” she ground out.

“He’s not a very pleasant man, is he?” Alex asked, his gaze following Luthor and Sandoval.

“No, not at all,” Bruce confirmed as he took a sip of his wine.

Callum Mitchell came by at that moment, pausing at their table. “I hope you all are having a splendid evening.”

“Yes, thank you very much,” Diana replied. “It’s been a wonderful weekend.”

“I hope you will be able to return home with what you came here for,” Callum told them.

Bruce’s hand caressed Diana’s thigh beneath the table, his playboy smile firmly in place. “Very much so,” he said. “I got everything I wanted and so much more.”

Diana wasn’t certain if what he was saying was just for show or if he was being truthful, but she found she didn’t care. She had followed her heart and now he was finally hers. She just hoped that it stayed that way once they returned home, a faint niggling in the back of her mind telling her something was wrong.

“Hello, my good friends,” Emily Ballard greeted them with a grin, dropping down into the empty chair. “I swear Leo really outdid himself with this marvelous weekend. A bit of a strange event, but it’s been entertaining nonetheless.”

“Where is Spencer?” Bruce asked, looking around the crowded room.

“Oh, he’s over there somewhere talking to the men about the cars they bought today,” she replied with an uninterested wave of her hand.

“What car did he buy?” Alex inquired.

“I don’t know,” Emily responded with a shrug. “Some silver insect I think. I don’t care. I’ll never get to drive it.”

Alex and Bruce shared an amused smile at the socialite’s lack of knowledge about cars. “Was it the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider?” Bruce asked.

Emily rolled her eyes as she shook her head. “It could have been a Pinto for all I know about cars. I’m far more interested in the horses.”

“Are they being auctioned as well?” Diana asked.

“Tomorrow morning if you’re interested,” Emily informed her.

“I would love to, but I don’t really have a place to keep a horse,” Diana told her, disappointment veiling her face.

Bruce frowned with Diana’s response, remembering how he had asked her to move into the manor with him. She never did give him an answer. If she did want to move in with him, she’d have plenty of room in his stables for a horse. Did she not want to live with him? Was that what she had been afraid of talking to him about earlier?

“Alex, come dance with me,” Emily suggested, hands coming to rest on his forearm as she abruptly sat forward. “I’m getting bored and the live band is too good to ignore any longer.”

Alex stood to his feet, offering her his hand. “Shall we then?”

Emily’s face brightened as she took his hand. “Yes, we shall,” she readily agreed with a grin.

Bruce watched as they walked towards the dance floor, a flood of questions and doubts assaulting his mind. He never thought Diana the type to settle for a weekend fling, but maybe she’d changed her mind about wanting to be with him.

“Do you want to dance?” Diana asked, leaning towards him. “It is our last night here after all.”

“Sure,” he absentmindedly murmured as he stood from his chair, holding his hand out to her.

Taking his hand, Diana followed him through the crowd, wondering what had caused the sudden change in his mood. He seemed distant and distracted…almost sad. It was not unusual for him to become like that at any given moment, but she couldn’t help feeling there was something more to it than just the case this time.

Pulling her into his arms, Bruce began to lose himself to his troubled thoughts, uncertain about how to fix it. He didn’t want to lose her now that he finally had her. He was angry with himself for pushing her away all this time, for refusing to give into his feelings for her. He’d wasted so much time that he could’ve spent with her and now he feared she was going to slip through his fingers.

He loved the feel of her in his arms, the way her feminine curves fit so well with his masculine edges…the way their bodies perfectly melded as one when they made love. He never felt more alive than when he was with her, never experienced such peace and contentment before her.

He was captivated by the way she could lighten his mood with nothing more than a smile, the mischief that made her blue eyes sparkle when she teased him. He loved how she rested her head on his shoulder when they danced as if he was all she ever needed, her breath so warm against his neck. He wanted to stay like this forever, but he knew they couldn’t. 

Diana could feel the tension in his body, his muscles taut. She had no idea what it was that had upset him, but she was determined to find out. She lifted her head from his shoulder, her worried gaze probing his for answers.

“What’s wrong, Bruce?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he confessed.

“What do you mean?”

“I can tell there’s something that’s been bothering you,” he told her.

Diana averted her eyes, somewhat apprehensive about how this conversation was going to go. “I can’t help wondering what will happen when we return home,” she tentatively admitted.

“What do you mean?” he asked with a frown.

“Right here…right now…we can be ourselves, Bruce, but tomorrow we’ll be returning home to our real lives,” she explained. “Are you going to end up ignoring what happened here between us this weekend?” 

Bruce was somewhat taken aback by her worry, but he knew that he really shouldn’t be. His past actions towards her…his constant pushing and pulling in their relationship…were the root cause of this fear. He felt guilty for making her feel like he was just going to return home and behave like nothing had ever happened or changed between them, pretending as if she meant nothing more to him than just some meaningless tryst.

“No, I’m not, Diana,” he honestly said, his penetrating gaze boring into her. “I’m not going to push you away or walk away from this. Do I still have lingering fears and doubts about us? Yes, but that’s something that I need to learn to deal with. I don’t want to go back to the way things had been before we arrived here.”

Diana smiled at him, relief drifting through her. While one of her worries had been laid to rest, she still needed him to open up to her about what he had learned in the future about her. She decided that could wait until their trip home tomorrow.

She rested her forehead against his cheekbone, fighting back the emotion that attempted to overwhelm her. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“You ought to be,” he said. “You never answered my question.”

“What question?” she asked, pulling back to look at him with a furrowed brow.

“About moving into the manor with me,” he reminded her. “I want you to move in with me. If it’s not something that you feel you’re ready to do, I’ll understand.”

Diana could sense his uneasiness, noticed the fear that flitted through his eyes. “I’d love to.”

“Really?” he asked, relieved with her answer.

“Yes,” she confirmed, brushing her lips against his. “I only want to be with you, Bruce.”

“And I want you with me,” he reassured her.

The band began to play “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”, the female entertainer’s voice filling the room as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, losing themselves in the moment. Though the words had yet to be spoken, they could feel it in the connection they shared.

_“Take my hand, take my whole life too…For I can't help falling in love with you…For I can't help falling in love with you…”_

Bruce gently pressed his lips to hers, kissing her slowly and savoring the moment that seemed to swirl around them like magic. It was as if they were there all alone, the band and singer performing solely for them. It was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced before, the words and the music twining around them and binding them together. 

They knew that the other had to feel it too. It was similar to the moment when Bruce had given his speech at the Wayne Enterprises Banquet and their eyes had met, conveying so many feelings. That same warm feeling of being connected and cherished flooded his system all over again, making his heart quicken. No other woman had ever created just an intense awakening of emotion in him before.

Diana kissed him with an unhurried passion, drinking in the feel and taste of him and imprinting it in her mind. All too soon, the song was over and Bruce was ending the kissing much to her disappointment. That was when she realized that Lex Luthor was standing there with them.

“May I cut in?” Lex asked, gazing lasciviously at Diana.

“No,” Bruce firmly stated, taking hold of Diana’s hand. “We were actually going to get something to eat.”

“What a shame,” Lex replied. “I was anxious to show Diana how a real man can make her feel.”

“You’re not even half the man that Bruce is,” Diana spat out, turning on her heel and walking away.

“Later, Lex,” Bruce said with a grin before following his girlfriend.

Lex sneered as he watched them walk away, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. He cursed under his breath, looking for Madeleine to find her standing off to the side talking to Callum Mitchell. He decided he’d while away the hours with her until he finally got his hands on what he’d come for.

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 23:01 EST_ **

Alex silently slipped down the empty hallway, his destination firmly in mind. He lightly ran his hands over the pockets of his tux jacket, making sure his tools were completely concealed. He’d been taking a couple of tools at a time to his planned access point over the weekend, but now the time had finally come to perform his final heist.

He warily glanced back over his shoulder, somewhat worried that Selina would end up sneaking up on him when he least expected it. He didn’t believe that she’d turn him in or she would’ve done it long before now, making him wonder if she too had her sights set on a few diamonds of her own.

Coming to the end of the hallway, he peered around the corner before slipping into an empty room on the second floor. It was perfectly situated right above the ballroom where the antiquities and jewels were being kept under heavy guard.

Thankfully, this part of the castle was unoccupied and sparsely furnished, allowing him the chance to hide his tools here without being discovered. It was blanketed in darkness save for shafts of moonlight filtering in through a couple of windows on the far side of the room.

He silently made his way to his tools that he had hidden behind a couple of boxes. He quickly removed his tux jacket, laying it over the back of a nearby chair before kneeling down to lay out his tools as well as his work clothes that he needed to change into. He abruptly paused as he laid out his night vision goggles, instantly stiffening as he became aware of the fact that he was not alone.

He swiftly stood to his feet and spun around to find someone standing in the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

His unexpected companion stepped into the moonlight, revealing his true identity. “Batman,” Alex gasped in shock, his heart beginning to pound wildly in his chest. “What are you doing here?”

“I followed Lex Luthor here,” he stated as he stared him down with that intimidating air that made the most hardened man tremble in fear.

Alex did his best to appear completely calm, but it was near difficult in the presence of the formidable vigilante of Gotham. He’d heard rumors of how terrifying the Dark Knight was, but he never believed it until this very moment. Now, he was a firm believer.

“I don’t know where he is,” he replied, his mind racing to find a way out of this that didn’t end up with him in jail.

“I do,” Batman bluntly stated, “and I already know what you’re planning on doing here tonight.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said as his lifted his chin in defiance, folding his arms firmly against his chest.

“I know who you are,” Batman revealed. “You’re Alex Bristow, antiques dealer from London. I also know that you are a thief, the one who leaves blank business cards behind as your calling card. You’re responsible for the recent heists in Gotham, New York City, and Chicago. You’re also planning on stealing sapphires from Leo Vanover’s collection tonight.”

“You have absolutely no proof,” Alex spat out, grabbing his tux jacket and putting it back on. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to get back to.”

“I bet if I were to turn your home upside down in London, I’d find all the proof I need,” Batman calmly stated. “Or has Annaliesa already been instructed to bury them in your family cemetery?”

Alex came to an abrupt halt, his entire body rigid with fear. How could he know? There was no way that he could possibly know that. “What do you want?” he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I need your help,” he revealed.

“My help?” Alex repeated in stunned disbelief. “With what?”

The corner of Batman’s lips twitched slightly as he stared at the thief he’d been chasing for weeks now. “Stopping Lex Luthor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WHOA! Batman is enlisting Alex's help! Wonder what he has Diana doing? Will Alex go along with Batman's plan? We're getting closer to the end of this fic. I'm starting to write Chp 31 which will be the last chapter. After that, I'll start working on Family Ties.
> 
> UP NEXT: Lex goes after Excalibur and Alex has a decision to make. Stay tuned! :)


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 23:19 EST_ **

Alex stared at Batman in stunned disbelief, still trying to process what the Dark Knight of Gotham had just offered him. It was like stepping into some sort of a surreal dream, one that was completely backwards with no sense of up or down. 

He’s studied everything he could find about Batman before he’d made his trip to the United States in preparation of their paths crossing during his time in Gotham. He’d managed to avoid the infamous Batman during the few days that he had spent in his city only to unexpectedly come face to face with him here in England. 

It seemed that the mysterious Caped Crusader had been far more aware of him and his criminal activities than he had previously believed. He was positive that Wonder Woman had a lot to do with that since Batman was her teammate in the Justice League. Since thefts occurred in his city, it would only be natural that they would collaborate with each other. 

The question now was where was Wonder Woman. Was she here too?

Finally gathering his senses, Alex squared his shoulders before speaking. “You can’t be serious.”

“Dead,” Batman darkly rasped, offering little more information. His cape was dramatically draped around him in that haunting fashion that made criminals faint dead on sight, his expression hard and revealing absolutely nothing.

Making his legs work again, Alex moved to sit down on the chair he’d laid his tux jacket over, leaning forward with his forearms coming to rest on his thighs. “Why would you want my help?”

Batman stared him down, his expression set like stone. “I’m in need of your particular skill set.” 

“Let’s just say for one moment that you’re right about me and that I am a thief,” he began, carefully choosing his words. He definitely didn’t want to incriminate himself too much. “Why would you choose me over Catwoman? It’s no secret that she’s here and she’s from Gotham. I’m sure the two of you have tangled on more than one occasion.”

Bruce internally winced with Alex’s choice of words. Tangled was putting it mildly. He and Selina had done far more than just tangle. While he didn’t regret the time he’d spent with her or the physical relationship they had shared, he did wish that he’d allowed Diana into his life far sooner than he had.

“I also believe that you have a good heart deep down,” he continued, refusing to comment on Selina. “I want to give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

Alex sat there for a long moment, his eyes falling to the floor as he considered his words. “I actually used to be quite proud of my accomplishments…being able to steal without ever being caught or identified,” he found himself confessing. “Now, I wish things could have been so very different.”

“They still can be.”

“How?” Alex asked with a disbelieving shake of his head. “I’m a thief. There’s no sense denying it any longer. Would you believe that tonight was going to be my last heist? I was going to hang it up for good…walk away from my criminal career without ever having been suspected or caught.”

“I need you for one more job,” Batman requested, knowing that Alex would cooperate in the end. 

“My sole reason for stealing is gone now,” he pensively replied as if not really hearing him, pausing to release an almost weary sigh. “She’s gone and my desire to steal is gone with her. Tonight was going to be swan song for her.”

“Now, you have a chance for redemption,” Batman stated. “Return what you’ve stolen, put what you’ve learned to use to stop someone with truly malicious intent, and I won’t turn you in to the police. I’ll give you a chance to start a new life for yourself.”

Alex’s head snapped up as his eyes narrowed in suspicion, taken aback by the offer. “Is this some sort of a trick?”

“Hardly,” Batman replied with a frown. “Lex Luthor is going to get his hands on some sensitive government documents tonight unless he is stopped. That is where you come in.”

“So why don’t you just stop him yourself?” he questioned him, shaking his head. “You’re Batman after all.”

“Because I need your special set of skills,” he answered him, “and because I’m giving you a chance to do something good for a change…something you can look back on and be proud of…something your family would be proud of.”

Alex drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he weighed his choices. Deep down, he already knew the answer without having to truly think about it. This was his only chance for freedom—freedom from jail and freedom from the merciless demons that haunted him. This was his chance to move past this life that he’d carved out for himself and begin anew.

“What do you want me to do?” Alex asked as he resolutely stood to his feet.

**_Vanover Castle; October 9th, 23:46 EST_ **

Diana kept a close watch on Luthor as the minutes ticked by, midnight inching closer and closer. Right now, he was sitting a couple of tables over from her looking very cozy as he talked to Madeleine. It made her more than nauseated being forced to babysit them again, especially knowing what they were really up to.

She wasn’t the least bit happy about the fact that Bruce had her tailing Lex and Madeleine. If they started going at it like a couple of animals in heat again, she swore she was going to break the door down and pour ice water on them. It had been bad enough being forced to listen to them the first time around.

She had to admit that she was more than a little relieved that Bruce was giving Alex a chance to redeem and prove himself tonight, though. While she wasn’t happy about the choices that he’d made in his life, she felt that she understood why Alex did the things that he had done. They both believed that Alex deserved a chance to make things right and have a fresh start in life.

Diana pretended to be listening to Emily and Spencer as they prattled on about something or other, but she was only picking up about every fourth word or so. She was too busy trying to focus on Lex and Madeleine’s conversation.

For the moment, Luthor was quite content to while away the time bragging about his countless accomplishments and all the money that he’d accumulated over the years. Madeleine appeared completely captivated by him, making Diana wonder just how intelligent this woman actually was. If she truly was a lawyer, she couldn’t be that stupid to fall for him.

Then again, the woman was selling top secret government documents to a known criminal mastermind. Diana automatically docked her several IQ points on the basis of that decision alone. The fact that she was swooning over him only added to her suspicions about the woman’s intelligence.

Diana chuckled in response to something that Emily said about some party that she and Spencer had attended a few months ago. It was something about a lot of alcohol and someone with a lampshade on their head dancing with a floor lamp. It was difficult to actually decide which part she was supposed to be amused with when she’d only heard about a third of the story. Both Spencer and Emily were rather tipsy at the moment and not completely making sense which didn’t help either. 

“Diana, you simply must come and visit us in New York City when we return to the States,” Emily insisted, her cheeks slightly flushed from the amount of alcohol she’d already consumed tonight. “We would have an absolute blast.”

“I’d love too,” Diana agreed, taking a sip of her wine. She actually wouldn’t mind meeting up with the Ballard’s in New York City. They had turned out to be fun people to spend time with.

“And be sure to bring Bruce too,” Spencer added, his jovial expression turning into a frown as he glanced about. “Where is he by the way?”

“He went to check out the antique cars again before they were all taken away tomorrow,” she lied, hating that part of the mission. 

While she understood the importance of the whole notion of secret identities and being undercover, it still stirred a sense of guilt inside of her that she could never be completely honest about herself or what they were actually doing. At the same time, she’d never jeopardize Bruce or his family for any reason.

Spencer grew sympathetic as he took another drink of his brandy. “Poor guy,” he said with a sympathetic shake of his head. “Kicking himself for not getting in on the action, isn’t he? Well, maybe the next auction we all attend.”

“Yes, he’s rather disappointed that he didn’t go after that Ferrari,” she replied, hoping she’d remembered the correct car that they had been talking about earlier.

“I’m sure you’ll help him forget all about it,” Emily said with smirk as she took a sip of her drink. “A beautiful woman can always make a man forget all of his troubles.”

“Amen to that, Em,” Spencer agreed with a grin, clinking his glass against Emily’s. “To beautiful women.”

Emily frowned with his toast. “I had better be the only beautiful woman that you have eyes for, Spence,” she threatened him.

“Only ever you, my love,” he reassured her, leaning over and kissing her on the lips.

“Well, I guess I better go look for Bruce and see if there’s any way I can console him,” Diana announced as she stood to her feet, noticing that Luthor and Madeleine were on the move. 

The time had finally come.

Why Madeleine had chosen midnight for the exchange was still a mystery to them. She could have given it to him at any time tonight or even tomorrow unless she wanted to make her own escape before dawn. There would be no reason for her to hang around here now after she got her money.

“Good luck, Diana,” Spencer said, raising his glass to her.

“Poo,” Emily pouted, folding her arms against her chest. “It’s still early, Di. The four of us should party the night away.”

“Sorry, but it’s been a very busy day and we all have a long trip home tomorrow,” Diana replied, feigning fatigue. “We’ll see you in the morning before we leave.”

“Fine…have fun consoling Bruce,” Emily told her with a wicked grin.

Diana quickly cut her way through the crowded ballroom, her gaze locked solely on Luthor and Madeleine. She was more than anxious to get this whole thing over with. She wouldn’t feel any sense of peace until the Excalibur documents had been destroyed once and for all, ensuring that her friends would be safe…that Kal would be safe.

The fact that the documents even existed at all made her ill to her core. She didn’t want to think about how they had tested the weapon when it had first been built or what had happened that had caused Leo Vanover to destroy the weapon and completely shut the whole project down.

She shuddered to think of those plans in the hands of someone like Lex Luthor who was bent on power and destruction.

Working her way around groups of gathered guests, Diana smiled and excused herself, her mind reviewing everything that she and Bruce had talked about. Bruce had given her strict instructions not to engage or intervene or both of their identities would be compromised. 

It was also the other reason that Bruce had wanted Alex to be the one to stop Lex instead of doing it himself. It would’ve been far too risky for Lex to find Bruce Wayne and Batman here in England at the same time. He feared Lex would make the connection, endangering those he cared most about.

Diana just prayed that his plan worked. She didn’t know why she doubted him, though. This was Bruce after all. He’d more than proven himself time and time again to all of them over the years. Besides, there was no one that she trusted in this world more than she trusted him.

The only thing that brought her any measure of comfort was the fact that Alex was being given the chance to redeem himself. The fact that Bruce was actually allowing Alex to be the one to retrieve the Excalibur documents instead of doing it himself was a huge step. 

It proved to her just how much it had affected Bruce to discover how similar his life was to Alex’s, the way their paths had run parallel to one another’s. Things could’ve turned out much differently for Bruce if circumstances had been different, but she didn’t believe it for one second.

She thought that was what had more than likely rattled Bruce the most…seeing the stark parallels between himself and the thief. While she could see the similarities between the two men, she didn’t believe that Bruce was capable of becoming the monster that he always feared that he could become if he ever crossed that line.

She knew him, knew that he had a good heart. It was one that was filled with compassion and selflessness despite the fact that he tried so hard to hide it beneath his icy demeanor and layers of detached indifference.

Finally exiting the ballroom teeming with guests, Diana turned the corner, running directly into Lex Luthor himself. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her firmly against him. He grinned wolfishly, his eyes darkening as he studied her intently. He was clearly enjoying the close contact with her.

“Are you following me, Miss Prince?” he asked, his deep voice seeming to rumble through his chest and into her.

“No,” she adamantly stated with a scowl, wanting more than anything to erase that lecherous smirk off his face with her fist. “I was going to look for Bruce. He went to look at the antique cars again before they were taken away tomorrow.”

“Deep down, I think you really want me,” Luthor countered, his hands beginning to wander down her back towards her derriere. “You know there’s a very fine line between hate and love. I bet I could erase that line for you if you’d just give me a chance.”

Diana couldn’t contain her laughter with his analogy as she attempted to pull out of his embrace only to be brought back firmly against him. “You’re deluded if you think that I would leave Bruce for you.”

“Come on, Diana,” he retorted with a huff of annoyance. “What does that oaf have that I don’t?”

“The list is far longer than I have time to review with you,” she curtly replied as she broke free from his embrace. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go look for Bruce.”

Diana hurriedly moved past him, not giving him a second look. She could feel his eyes practically raking over her, removing her clothes with his lustful gaze alone. It made her skin crawl as she quickly turned the corner to find Madeleine Sandoval waiting for Luthor. She was standing there with her arms crossed and a murderous look in her eyes, her lips twisted into a hateful sneer.

Diana gave her a small smile as she walked past, desperately needing to disappear so she could resume following them again. Turning another corner, she found a room with the door ajar. She silently slipped inside, closing the door behind her.

Listening closely, she could hear their footsteps grow louder as well as their voices. “I don’t know what you see in Diana Prince,” Madeleine snapped as they drew nearer.

“If you can’t see it, then you must be blind, Maddie,” Luthor told her.

“So it doesn’t bother you in the least that you’re sleeping with me while chasing after her?” she demanded to know, her tone laced with jealous anger.

Diana waited several moments before noiselessly opening the door and stepping out into the empty hallway, glancing both ways before resuming her journey. She already knew where they were headed. She just hoped that everything was already in place and ready to go for their arrival.

She made her way towards Madeleine’s office, being careful about being caught by Luthor again. Peering around the corner, she found Luthor kissing Madeleine, pinning her up against the wall as he devoured her. It was all Diana could do not to turn a hose on the pair.

“We’ll have enough time to continue this after I get my hands on the Excalibur documents,” Luthor told her after breaking the kiss, running the back of his fingers along the curve of her face as he kept his body pressed firmly against hers.

“So business before pleasure, Lex?” she replied with a seductive smile.

“Definitely,” he agreed, taking a step back and allowing her to smooth out her dress before turning to unlock the door.

Madeleine entered her office first, turning on the small lamp that sat on the corner of her desk. “Wait here,” she instructed him as she made her way towards the wall safe.

“Afraid I’m going to try to steal something?” Luthor asked with a smirk as he moved to sit on the corner of her desk, crossing his arms against his chest as his dark gaze roamed over her backside.

“You are a known criminal, Lex,” she reminded him, keeping her back to him as she entered the code to her safe.

“Reformed criminal, Maddie…key word is reformed,” he countered.

Madeleine snickered as she opened the safe door, turning to give him a look that told him she didn’t believe a single word that came out of his mouth. “Really?” she replied with a smirk. “You’re buying top-secret government documents in order to build a weapon to take down the entire Justice League. What about that whole scenario says you’re reformed?”

“Just because I’m buying them from you doesn’t mean that I actually intend to use them,” he shot back without a second though. He’d perfected the art of lying years ago. It was like second nature to him now. “Maybe I just want to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.”

She chuckled in response as she turned her attention back to her safe. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Lex,” she told him. “You’re hatred of Superman is renowned. We even know about it here in England.”

“How did you get your hands on Excalibur?” he asked.

Madeleine turned to face him, a large stack of files and manila envelopes in hand that she deposited on her desk. “The day that Vanover passed away I began to go through his personal documents,” she explained. “I stumbled across a hidden compartment in one of the walls in his personal office. That’s where I found it.”

“Were you able to find anything else that I might be interested in purchasing while we’re doing business here?”

She began to sort through the files, a frown slowly forming on her face as she got to the bottom of the stack. She started again at the top, working her way back down through the pile once more and not finding what she was looking for.

“What is it?” Luthor demanded to know as he stood to his feet, his arms falling to his sides as he stared at her with growing impatience and anger.

“It’s not here,” she told him, turning back to the wall safe. “I don’t understand it. It was here this morning.”

“Is this some sort of scam to double-cross me?” Luthor growled.

“No, of course not!” she exclaimed. “I swear to you it was just here this morning.”

Madeleine turned back to the pile of files on her desk, tearing through them like a woman possessed. Luthor closed the distance between them, his fingers wrapping tightly around her upper arm. “I don’t take being double-crossed very well,” he ground out, tightening his grip on her arm and forcing her to face him. “I want Excalibur and I want it now.”

“Just how much are you willing to pay for it, Mister Luthor?”

Luthor and Madeleine both looked up in stunned disbelief as a man dressed in black unexpectedly stepped out of the shadows of the room like a specter, his face concealed behind a black mask. Luthor’s hand slipped from Madeleine’s arm to hang at his side as he studied the man before them, his hands clenching into fists.

“Who are you?” Luthor snarled.

“That is of no consequence to you,” the unknown man stated, disguising his voice.

Madeleine moved to stand beside Luthor, her eyes blazing with fury. “How did you get in here?” she demanded to know. “You have no right to be in here.”

“I have my ways,” he cryptically replied.

“What do you want for the Excalibur documents?” Lex asked him. “I’ll pay you anything you want. I must have them.”

“I already have what I want,” he told him, holding up the file. “Now, if you’ll both excuse me.”

In the next breath, the mysterious man was gone with the documents safely in hand, disappearing into the dark shadows once more. Luthor cursed as he raced towards the spot where the thief had just been standing, finding nothing there. He was gone.

Madeleine ran towards the door, flipping on the light switch and finding the room empty save for her and Luthor. “Where did he go?” she yelled.

“How am I supposed to know?” Luthor ground out, furious with the fact that they had just lost the thief as well as Excalibur. He turned to face Madeleine, his chest heaving with anger. “If you don’t get me those documents, I swear I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”

**_Vanover Castle; October 10th, 00:11 EST_ **

Selina carefully looked around to make sure that no one was following her as she made her way towards the ballroom. During the last couple of days of exploring, she’d found an air duct that would lead her into the ballroom and the priceless jewels that awaited her.

She’d seen several diamond necklaces and bracelets that she was more than a little anxious to get her hands on. She should be able to get in and out without Bruce being any the wiser. He should have his hands full with Alex right now, leaving her free to get what she wanted.

If she couldn’t have Bruce, she was definitely going to get some sort of compensation this weekend and what better compensation than diamonds.

Finding the air duct, Selina carefully removed the cover before slipping inside. She stealthily slinked her way through the duct, her thoughts wandering towards Bruce once more. She couldn’t help thinking that if she could just get him back to Gotham and away from the Amazon Bruce might come to his senses again. 

Maybe then she’d be able to remind him why he had fallen in love with her to begin with, remind him what he was missing out on by wasting all his time on the princess. Deep inside, though, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she knew it was truly over with him no matter the thoughts that kept creeping into her head about wanting to get him back. Her ego had taken a definite hit, one that she wasn’t quite willing to overlook.

Picturing the layout of this wing in her mind, Selina took a right turn through the duct work, thinking of all the things she’d love to do to Diana to get rid of her. She could have her pick of any of her teammates. She could even have Superman if she wanted. Why did she have to set her sights on her man?

She cursed to herself as she finally found her way to the ballroom. Regardless of how things turned out between Bruce and her, she was definitely going to enjoy stealing some diamonds right under Batman and Wonder Woman’s noses. It was going to be a sweet sense of revenge against Bruce. It would definitely help heal her wounds.

She carefully and quickly worked to remove the vent cover, thankful that the security system didn’t seem to be wired to the air duct work. Setting the cover aside, she slipped out of it, straightening up and stretching the kink out of her neck.

Everything had been tagged and ready for pick up in the morning before everyone left for home, making it effortless for her to take whatever she wanted. She stealthily slipped through the expansive room, taking her time to peruse each of the tables.

She bypassed the priceless paintings, the ancient artifacts and statues from various cultures, making her way to where the jewels were awaiting her arrival. She rubbed her hands together as she stared at the large display, her eyes widening with delight. So many to choose from and so very little time to decide.

Just as she began to reach for a large diamond necklace, an all too familiar voice cut through the darkness. “Don’t even think about it.”

Selina immediately froze, her entire body growing rigid with fury. Her lips twisted into a sneer as she lowered her arm. “What are you doing here?” she spat out with a venomous edge.

“Stopping you from making a mistake,” he told her.

“Don’t you have bigger fish to fry than me?”

Batman stepped out from the darkness into the swath of light that poured in from a window. “Not at the moment,” he rasped.

“What about Alex?” she demanded to know as she turned to face him. “Shouldn’t you be doing something about him? You know that he’s the thief you’ve been chasing all this time.”

“He’s already been taken care of,” Batman stated. “Now, I’m here to keep you from committing another crime that you’ll only end up regretting.”

Selina bristled, wrapping her arms around herself as she studied him. “Why do you suddenly care?” she furiously ground out. “Don’t you have the Amazon to keep you warm in your bed at night now or doesn’t she satisfy you?”

There was a long moment of silence that followed her question, his tone somewhat softer when he finally responded to her obvious disdain. “I’ll always care about you, Selina,” he told her. “You were always there for me when I needed someone.”

“But no longer,” she finished for him, knowing that would be the next thing coming out of his mouth. “I was good enough then, but not now.”

“It’s not like that, Selina, and you know it,” he said with a definitiveness that was like the death nail being driven into their relationship, locking it away for good as a part of his past. “You know that we aren’t good for each. I can’t go back to the way things were…I won’t.”

“You act like things were horrible between us,” she bit out, her anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“Not all the time,” he conceded. “There were some good times, but they were too few and far between for it to be considered a healthy relationship.”

“It didn’t seem to matter to you when we’d rendezvous on the rooftops of Gotham,” she snapped. “I was good enough for you then.”

“I’m sorry, Selina,” he said. “I never meant to treat you like that or to make you feel as though you were nothing more than just a fling to me, but I wasn’t capable of more than that at the time.”

“But you are now?”

“No, but I’m definitely going to try,” he confessed, needing to change the subject. This was treading on very uncomfortable ground for him. His feelings were not something that he enjoyed dwelling on…or his failures.

“And Diana is the one that’s going to help you?” she derisively stated.

“No, I’m trying not only for myself, but for her…because I love her,” he replied. 

“Ouch,” she uttered with a scowl.

“Selina, you need to leave,” he warned her. “If they catch you here, there’s nothing I can do to stop them from taking you to jail.”

“So you’re not going to turn me in?”

“No,” he responded with a shake of his head. “This is your final chance. Give it up now or I won’t be so forgiving the next time.”

Selina sniffed at his response, offended by his olive branch. “I don’t want your forgiveness…I wanted you.”

“You can’t have me,” he firmly stated. “It’s time to move on and make a new life.”

Selina’s shoulders slumped, knowing that she was fighting a losing battle. He was truly gone from her life, never to be her lover ever again. There was not going to be a happily-ever-after for her and Bruce, maybe never for her.

“Well, I guess it’s time for me to go home then,” she decided, straightening up and holding her head high despite the beating her ego had just taken.

“Try to behave yourself, Selina,” he advised her. “I don’t want to have this conversation again.”

“We’ll see,” she said with a shrug as she began to walk away from him. “Don’t expect me to wish you all the happiness in the world, Bruce. I’m not that good of a person.”

“I believe you have the potential to be,” he told her.

Selina stopped in her tracks, her head turning to the side. “You’re the only one who ever did.”

Batman said nothing more as he watched her climb back into the air duct, replacing the vent cover. He released a sigh as his gaze swept over the empty ballroom, his mind replaying all the things that had taken place here this weekend.

So much had happened that he hadn’t planned on or expected and yet he found he regretted none of it. The only regret that he did have was waiting so long to accept what Diana had been so willing to give him—a chance at a future filled with love and happiness.

Now, he just had to figure out a way to make sure that she stayed a permanent part of his life. His elder self had told him that allowing her a place in his life would change the future, keeping her safe from whatever harm was coming for her, but he couldn’t know that with absolute certainty. 

He just hoped that his elder self was right in his assumptions. He had no way of knowing for sure if he had changed the future enough to keep her alive, but he definitely wasn’t going to stop trying to protect her no matter how much she was going to hate it. He loved her too much to lose her. She was too much a part of his life…a part of him now to ever give her up.

His cape whipped behind him as he abruptly turned on his heel, disappearing into night’s shadows once more. He’d have to worry about Diana later once he’d returned to Gotham. Right now, he had a thief that he needed to rendezvous with.

**_Vanover Castle; October 10th, 01:07 EST_ **

Alex paced back and forth, covering the length of the very room that he had come face to face with Batman in. He could hardly believe how much his life had changed in the span of a couple of hours, going from being an elusive thief that no one could catch to helping the legendary Batman stop a criminal mastermind.

If anyone had told him last week that this weekend would end with him pulling a heist for Batman and the Justice League, he would have thought they had lost their minds. Now, he was in the very room he had been about to use to access the ballroom to meet with the Dark Knight.

It was so surreal that it almost made his head spin the longer he thought about it. The experience had shed a new light on things, opening his eyes to a different direction that his life could take. He had been so consumed with the criminal path that he had chosen since he was a teenager that all other aspects of life had become completely oblivious to him.

“How did it go?”

Alex nearly jumped out of his skin with the unexpected voice that filled the room. He turned on his heel to find Batman standing there in the shadows with him. “I’ve got the documents,” he replied, walking over to the table where the file lay.

Batman took the file from him, flipping it open to examine the documents. “Good,” Batman rasped.

“Lex Luthor didn’t handle losing the file very well,” Alex revealed, crossing his arms against his chest as he studied the vigilante before him. “I have a feeling he’ll be tearing through the castle like a mad man in search of it.”

“Let him,” Batman darkly replied.

“So…what now?”

“You’re free to go,” he stated, turning to leave. “Just don’t forget to return what you stole. If you don’t, I’ll know.”

Alex watched as he was swallowed up by the darkness of the room, leaving him there all alone once more. He drew a slow, ragged breath. It was over. His life of crime was finally over and his new life was waiting to begin.

Now, he just had some compensating to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lex lost Excalibur and Alex gets a clean start, but things aren't over yet. There's still the secret Bruce learned in the future that he has yet to tell Diana about. How will she handle it when she finds out and is she really safe now that she and Bruce are together?
> 
> UP NEXT: Okay, fans. You are going to get to decide what happens in the next update. I have written TWO endings for chapter 30. One Chp 30 will lead us to the conclusion of this fic and we will move on to bigger and better things. The other Chp 30 will end this fic with a massive cliffhanger and lead to a sequel to this fic. 
> 
> No matter which one you choose, I will start writing Family Ties next. After that, I will either write the sequel to this fic if you want it OR I'll start writing Deadly Intentions which is a fic surrounding a secret admirer for Diana that turns deadly...and it's someone totally unexpected.
> 
>  
> 
> Ok, gang! Let me know what you want. Majority rules! :)


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, gang! I was too excited about this to wait any longer to post it. Here's what I decided to do...
> 
> If you want the happy ending, read this chapter. There will be a final chapter after this to wrap everything up, but it won't be posted until this weekend or early next week.
> 
> If you want a cliffhanger ending, don't read this one, but Chp 31 which is actually Chp 30 Alternate Ending. I will do a sequel to this one after Family Ties and Deadly Intentions. It'll be called "To Save an Amazon". 
> 
> I hope this makes sense. Enjoy whichever chapter you choose to read! :)

Chapter 30

**_Wayne Private Jet; October 10th, 21:46 EST_ **

Diana stared thoughtfully out the window of the jet, the book in her lap lying open to the same page for the last thirty minutes or so. She still couldn’t begin to believe how this weekend had played out. It had been so unexpected from what she had originally thought. She was also positive it didn’t necessarily go according to Bruce’s well laid-out plans either.

She had thought they’d go undercover, catch their thief and put him away, returning home to resume their responsibilities once more. She’d never dreamed that they would end up befriending the thief or offer him a chance at redemption. On top of that, Catwoman and Lex Luthor had made unexpected appearance, adding a whole other degree of trouble to the mix.

A frown formed on Diana’s lips as she realized that she never saw Selina again after the party last night, her presence missing this morning at the farewell breakfast. Bruce had told her about his encounter with her last night, stopping her from stealing any of the jewels and giving her a chance to turn over a new leaf.

She knew that seeing Selina this weekend had affected Bruce in a way, but not in the way that she had expected. She thought that it would’ve awoken feelings in him, causing him to second guess his decision to give in to the attraction that had been developing between them for so long now. Instead, it seemed to have only confirmed in his mind that Selina was a part of his past.

Lex Luthor had also been a notable absence this morning, making her wonder what hole he’d crawled into now after losing the Excalibur documents. After Alex had retrieved Excalibur, Luthor had gone into a blinding rage, trashing Madeleine’s office, but thankfully not laying a finger on her. 

She’d stayed long enough after Alex had made his escape to make sure that Lex didn’t hurt Madeleine. The conspiring pair had gotten into a nasty argument, various items being thrown before Luthor had finally stormed out. Diana had followed him back to his suite before heading back to her own to wait for Bruce. 

Diana smiled to herself as she thought about the farewell breakfast. They’d said their goodbyes to Spencer and Emily, exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in contact once they returned the States. They were certainly an amusing pair, a couple that she wouldn’t mind seeing again.

The hardest part had been saying goodbye to Alex. She was definitely going to miss him. He had promised to visit them the next time he was in Gotham. She had a feeling that visit might be coming sooner rather than later after Alex’s meeting with the Dark Knight of Gotham.

Alex had promised Batman that he would return the things that he had stolen. Some arrangement had been made between them for a dead drop, Batman returning the things that had been taken in the States. It warmed her heart that Bruce had given Alex the opportunity to turn his life around while also stopping Luthor from getting his hands on the plans for a deadly weapon.

The most amazing moment of the weekend, though, was what had happened between her and Bruce. While she had hoped to make Bruce see that they were worth taking a chance on, she’d never imagined that he would be so willing to give in to what they’ve both wanted for so long.

Now, they were going home, returning to their lives and real responsibilities. She still couldn’t help feeling a sense of apprehension about how well Bruce was going to adjust to the changes that were going to have to take place in order to accommodate this new relationship they were embarking on.

He was not someone who relished change or a man who just opened himself up on a regular basis. He was closed off at best, a man who kept his emotions under lock and key. She had never been in a relationship before and Bruce was hardly a man who wore his heart on his sleeves. This was definitely going to take a lot of work to navigate this new territory together. She just hoped that he was willing to try.

Besides Bruce’s issues, there was the fact that he was hiding something from her, something that he had learned about in the future. She knew trying to get him to talk about it was going to be next to impossible, but she felt that she had the right to know since it obviously involved her.

Bruce glanced at her out the corner of his eye for the thousandth time since they’d left England. He’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off her most of the flight, but now it was for a different reason. He could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind, making him worried about what that something could be.

He hoped she wasn’t having doubts about them, second guessing her decision to start a relationship with him. He was willing to do whatever he had to in order to try to make this work with her. He knew it was going to be difficult with the lives that they led, but he wanted this with her more than anything in this world.

Unable to bear another moment of not knowing, Bruce reached over and took her hand in his, drawing her attention. “Hey…what’s on your mind?”

Turning towards him, Diana gave him a small smile, wondering if she should even bring it up. Drawing a deep breath, she decided they needed to talk about it if they were going to make this relationship work. She just hoped that he would go against his every instinct and open up to her about it.

“Bruce, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I know that you learned something about me in the future,” she began, watching as a dark storm quickly clouded his eyes. “What is it? What’s going to happen to me that you don’t want to talk about?”

Bruce grew tense with her question, a deep frown forming. “Diana, I don’t want to talk about it,” he firmly dismissed her; shaking his head as his elder self’s voice filled his head all over again.

_“Once she dies in your arms maybe you’ll finally understand what I’ve been trying to tell you…or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_

It had been the source of countless haunting nightmares since he’d returned from the future. He hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about it, not even Alfred. How in the world could he ever talk to her about it…talk about how she was supposed to die in his arms?

“Bruce…please talk to me,” she pleaded with him.

His throat clenched painfully, threatening to steal his breath as he shook his head. “It no longer matters now anyways. Things have changed since then.”

It was Diana’s turn to frown as she studied him, her mind racing to put the pieces together. She could tell that whatever he had learned had affected him deeply. He was clearly unnerved by her even bringing it up and she still had no idea what it was that was going to happen, but she had her suspicions.

She squeezed his hand, forcing him to look at her. “Bruce, if something is going to happen to me then I deserve to know,” she pressed, refusing to back down now. “I’m going to die…aren’t I?”

Anger ignited inside of him along with ice cold fear, all of his bottled up feelings rapidly rising to the surface and desperate for release. He pulled his hand free from her hold as he jumped to his feet, startling her. “You are not going to die,” he angrily snapped as he began to pace.

“Do I die on a mission?” she asked, dread welling up within her with the way that Bruce was reacting. Whatever it was that was going to happen to her, it was definitely horrifying. She prayed that she was the only casualty. The thought of Bruce or any of her teammates dying as well made her ill to her core. She couldn’t let that happen.

“You are not going to die, Diana,” he ground out the words again, his anger punctuating every syllable. He turned to face her, the emotion blazing brightly in his eyes like twin azure infernos stunning her speechless. “I will not lose you. I hopefully changed the timeline enough that I won’t lose you too now.”

Diana was taken aback by his confession as she numbly stood to her feet. “Bruce,” she murmured, taking his hand in hers. “What did you do? How did you change the timeline?” She knew how dangerous that was to do. It could have an unknown domino effect that could be beyond disastrous.

His chin fell to his chest as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He swallowed hard, trying to find the words to explain it to her. “We made love, Diana,” he finally replied. “I made the decision to take a chance on us instead of shutting you out once again.”

Stunned, Diana didn’t know what to think or to say as she stared at him in stunned disbelief. “So…you made love with me…in order to change the timeline and keep me from dying?” she questioned him, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” Bruce heatedly stated, his head snapping up to look at her. “That’s not the reason, Diana.”

“Mister Wayne,” the pilot’s voice came over the speaker. “We’ll be landing in Gotham in approximately ten minutes. Please buckle your seatbelts.”

“No, it’s okay, Bruce,” she murmured, releasing his hand and taking her seat. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. I understand it all now.”

Bruce could feel the plane begin its descent, forcing him to take his seat as well. “Diana, let me explain,” he pleaded as he turned to face her. “It’s not what you think.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about,” she numbly replied, staring straight ahead of her as swallowed back the hot tears building behind her eyes. “You did what you had to do in order to save my life.”

“What?” Bruce growled, his anger and panic rapidly mounting. “I did not make love to you to just to save your life, Princess. If that was all sleeping with you was going to mean to me, I would’ve seduced you months ago.”

“Are you sure about that?” she icily asked, turning a furious gaze on him. “It was a sound, tactical decision, one that you normally would’ve made in order to ensure that the Justice League still had Wonder Woman to help defend the Earth from whatever is obviously still coming.”

“Diana, I would never do that to you. You mean far too much to me to treat you like you’re nothing more than a meaningless fling,” he growled, his heart racing with growing panic. Everything was falling apart faster than he could hold it together. She was slipping through his fingers and he didn’t know how to stop it.

“It’s all right,” she evenly stated, looking away from him for fear of breaking down. “As a warrior, I understand you decision.”

“No…no, you don’t understand,” he angrily retorted.

Diana unbuckled her seatbelt as the plane landed at Gotham airport, wanting desperately to get away from here…away from him. She couldn’t bear to look at him knowing now why he had given into his desire for her. She had known that something had made him finally decide to begin a relationship with her, but she hadn’t realized it had only been to change the timelines and save her life.

She quickly grabbed her bag before marching towards the opening door of the airplane only to be stopped by Bruce abruptly seizing her wrist, his grip like a steel band. “Diana, please, don’t leave me,” he begged her. “You have to let me explain.”

She didn’t bother turning around to face him, couldn’t look into his eyes and know that she loved him, but he didn’t feel the same for her. It had been nothing more than a ploy to keep her from dying. She had always known that he was a good actor. She had seen him in action too many times over the years. She just never dreamed that he would try it on her.

“You won’t have to pretend any longer that you care about me, Bruce,” she managed to choke out, pulling her arm free. “Thank you for saving my life, but I can take care of myself from now on.”

“Diana!” he yelled, his legs feeling as though they were about to buckle.

Bruce watched in stunned disbelief as she flew out of the jet without even looking back at him or letting him explain anything to her. With a breaking heart, he dropped into his seat once more, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands.

He had no idea how long he had sat there until the sound of Alfred’s voice pulled him out of his anguished thoughts. “Master Bruce?” he tentatively called to him, worry lacing his voice. “Is everything all right?”

Bruce lifted his head to look at his surrogate father, fighting back the emotion that clogged his throat. “I lost her, Alfred,” he softly murmured. “I…I lost the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don’t know how to begin to get her back.”

“How about you start from the beginning as I drive you home and we’ll see what we can do about straightening things out with Miss Diana?” Alfred suggested.

Bruce slowly nodded his head in agreement as he dazedly stood to his feet, his heart heavier than it had been before learning of Diana’s fate from his future self. It had been horrifying enough to think of her dying, but now he knew just how much he was actually losing and it was absolutely everything.

**_Watchtower; October 12th, 16:12 EST_ **

Diana lay on her bed in her quarters just staring out the window at the endless expanse of stars, her arms wrapped tightly around one of her pillows. She’d been lying in this position since last night, going straight to her quarters after returning from England two days ago. She’d requested a couple of days off from J’onn, needing time to think and come to terms with what had happened with Bruce.

She hadn’t slept at all since their last night in England…her last night sharing a bed and her body with Bruce. She was still trying to wrap her mind around it all, trying to comprehend how she could have been so blind...so very foolish to have fallen for his act.

Bruce had always been so reticent and distant when it came to opening his heart or dealing with his feelings. It was why their flirting over the years had never developed into anything more serious. He didn’t want the complications of a relationship and definitely not one with her.

That was why she had buried her feelings for him, moving on and doing her best to forget about sharing anything more than friendship with him. Then, she’d discovered that she had been falling in love with him despite trying so hard not to, despite trying to ignore what had been growing in her heart.

She had actually believed that he cared about her too…that he wanted to be with her and was finally willing to step out from behind all his walls to try with her. Now, she knew it had all been nothing more than a plan to keep her from dying.

Her mind took her back to that moment in the commissary when she had approached Bruce and John’s table to hear Bruce talking about her. What had he called her? A remarkable woman…a valued friend? That was all she really was to him. He had slept with her in order to save a colleague from death. Nothing more.

Tears began to brim in her eyes all over again, but she blinked them away as she drew a deep, shuddering breath. She would not cry over a man despite the fact that her heart was breaking. She would handle this like every other battle she’d ever been in. She would bury her pain and her anger, throwing herself into her mission of peace and love.

Diana glanced at the clock, her mind unconsciously drifting back to Bruce. She couldn’t help wondering what he was doing now. He had called her multiple times over her commlink, sending her text messages. He sounded just as miserable as she was feeling; making her wonder if she should actually give him a chance to explain.

At the same time, she didn’t know if she could handle seeing him right now, not after what she’d learn. It was hard enough hearing his voice over her commlink without actually seeing him. She missed him terribly, but the hurt and anger still roiled fiercely inside her, keeping her from returning his countless calls.

“Batman to Wonder Woman.”

Diana squeezed her eyes closed against the flood of tears that immediately besieged her with the sound of his voice all over again, causing her to swallow back a sob. She fought the urge to answer his hail, needing time to think and decide what it was that she wanted to do.

“Damn it, Diana. I know you can hear me,” he angrily growled, his voice choked with anger as well as anguish. “I know that I hurt you, but please give me a chance to explain. It’s not what you think it is.”

Several moments of tense silence followed—Diana fighting to contain her heartache, Bruce struggling to find the words that would finally get through to her.

“I’m not going to give up on you, Princess,” he heatedly stated, his resolve sharp and hard like steel filling his voice. “I’m not going to give up on us...not now, not ever.”

**_Batcave; October 12th, 16:45 EST_ **

Bruce ended the call, hoping that maybe he had gotten through to her this time. He sank back in his chair with a heavy heart, raking his fingers back through his hair. With a weary sigh, he leaned forward to hold his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He couldn’t believe how badly he’d screwed everything up.

Everything had spiraled so far out of control, his life going from perfect to so empty in the blink of an eye. He had only been trying to protect her and to keep her safe. Now, she believed he’d only slept with her to keep her from dying, but she still didn’t know the whole truth.

She didn’t know how desperately he loved her…far more than he’d ever loved another and now she hated him.

He was more than resolved to get her back no matter what it took or how long. One way or another, he was going to prove to her that he loved her and wanted her in his life. He just needed to figure out how to do that, how to get her to even talk to him again.

Lifting his head, Bruce began typing on his keyboard, pulling up the security feed on the Watchtower. His heart clenched painfully as he brought up the image of Diana lying on her side on her bed, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. It was the exact same position that she’d been in when he’d return from patrol this morning just before dawn.

Fury coursed through his veins as he stood to his feet, his gauntleted hands clenching into tight fists as he stared at her image on the computer screen. His entire body grew rigid as he watched her wipe tears from her face. With a cry of pure rage, he slammed his fist into the computer screen, a shower of sparks flying everywhere.

He’d had more than enough of this. He was going up there to talk to her whether she liked it or not. He was going to march into her quarters and tell her everything…tell her how deeply he loved her, how he wanted her with him. If she broke him in two after that then so be it, but at least he’d told her how he truly felt about her.

Besides, no amount of physical pain she could inflict on him could possibly come anywhere close to the pain that consumed him now. Pulling his cowl up and over his face, he stalked straight towards the transporter, more than prepared to get her back. He was not about to go another night without her in his bed.

His commlink went off as he began punching in the codes for transport, giving him a flicker of hope that it was Diana contacting him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

“Watchtower to Batman.”

“Not now, J’onn,” he spat out, angered by the interruption.

“Boom tubes are opening up all over Metropolis,” J’onn grimly informed him. “We need all available members on site now to stop an invasion.”

“On my way,” Batman stated as he turned towards the Batwing.

His heart that had been filled with so much hurt just moments ago was now filled with overwhelming dread. This was it. This must be the fight that his elder self had lost Diana in, a battle against Darkseid and his army. His legs felt like lead as he raced towards the Batwing, his mind racing almost as fast as his heart.

He knew there was no chance of keeping Diana out of this fight, to keep her safe on the Watchtower. All he could do now was try to get there before she did and make sure she came out of this battle with Darkseid alive. 

In his heart and mind, there was no other acceptable outcome.

**_Metropolis; October 12th, 17:03_ **

Diana materialized in the very heart of battle, horror sweeping through her at what she found playing out right before her eyes. Parademon troopers were everywhere, swarming the skies and diving at terrified people running for their lives.

Justice League members were materializing on scene at a rapid rate, others flying in to help stop Darkseid’s invasion. She should have known the Female Furies’ appearance two weeks ago had been a precursor to something even bigger being planned by Darkseid.

With a furious scowl gracing her face, Diana immediately flew into action, soaring up into the air. She took out two parademons by slamming their heads together, tossing them aside before grabbing a couple more. It didn’t seem to matter how many she took out as she crushed one Parademon after another. They just kept coming, appearing out of nowhere. They needed to shut down those boom tubes now.

Smoke filled the air from the destruction they’d created so far, buildings crumbling and fires blazing as if Tartarus itself had just materialized right here in Metropolis. She couldn’t help wondering if Ares somehow had a hand in this as well, but she knew that Darkseid needed no help in creating such perverse devastation.

Turning, Diana spotted Lashina stepping out of a nearby boom tube, clearly recovered from the beating that Diana had given her just two weeks before. She was more than anxious for a rematch, wanting to pay the Female Fury back for the countless electrical burns that she’d received. 

Diana flew at her like a heat-seeking missile, a sneer curling her lips as she rammed into the Female Fury, driving right into the side of a building. Lashina quickly jumped to her feet, breathing hard and glaring daggers at Diana.

“You!” Lashina hissed, whips clenched tightly in her hands as she glowered at her. “I’m more than anxious for a little retribution.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Diana spat out as they began to circle one another.

“You’re going to die today, Amazon,” Lashina brashly threatened her, cracking one of her whips at her.

“So I’ve been told,” she retorted, jaw clenching tightly with the reminder of what Bruce had told her.

Lashina charged at Diana, wildly flinging her whips at her. One whip narrowly missed wrapping around Diana’s throat while the second lashed around her right arm, creating a nasty electrical burn that coiled down the length of her limb like a snake.

Ignoring it, Diana immediately reached out and grabbed hold of the whip, grimacing with the powerful current that seared through her like a thousand bolts of lightning. She swiftly jerked the Female Fury towards her, slamming her fist directly into her face. 

Lashina’s head snapped back with the powerful blow, blood dripping from her nose as her grip loosened on her whips. She struggled to remain conscious and upright, somehow managing to weakly swing her fist at the Amazon in an attempt to mount some sort of defense.

Diana grabbed hold of Lashina’s wrist, crushing the bones with a loud snap and causing the Fury to cry out in pain. She poured every bit of her anger and hurt into her fight with Lashina, delivering one punishing blow after another until she was nothing more than an unconscious heap on the ground.

Diana turned, catching sight of the Batwing arriving on the scene, shooting down one Parademon after another. Knowing he was here caused her heart to stutter, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as a hoard of Parademons converged on her at once. 

Six Parademons jumped on her, clawing and biting at her in an attempt to take her down. She could hardly breathe with the weight of the Troopers driving her down into the ground. With a Themyscirian curse, she slowly forced herself back up on to her feet, her legs near trembling with the effort.

She tried to hit as many of them as she could, but there were so many of them trying to tear her apart with their claws. She unexpectedly felt some of the weight being lifted off her, allowing her to get a full swing in. She slammed her fist into one Parademon, her fingers wrapping around the throat of another and crushing it. She grabbed the last two, slamming them together and finishing them off. Breathing heavily, she turned to find three of them lying on the ground at her feet with Batarangs sticking out of them. She didn’t want him looking out for her. She could take care of herself.

She quickly looked around for Batman, needing to know that he was safe to find him fighting off Granny Goodness. He was trying to stop the Fury as well as trying to get his hands on the Mother Box she no doubt had in her possession. Unfortunately, Lashina hadn’t been carrying one.

Looking up, Diana spotted Superman flying overhead, using his heat vision to burn through dozens of Parademons at a time. It seemed to be starting to turn the fight in their favor, but she knew it could change at any given moment, especially when Darkseide was involved.

A boom tube suddenly opened up, Steppenwolf stepping out with his sights set on Batman. “Batman!” Diana yelled. “Watch out!”

Without a second thought, Diana reached for her lasso, throwing it at Steppenwolf and keeping him from getting his hands on Batman who had just finished trying up Granny Goodness. Batman spun on his heel to find a snarling Steppenwolf struggling furiously against Diana’s magic lasso.

“What is your plan?” Batman ordered him to answer.

“We came for you, Superman, and Wonder Woman,” Steppenwolf revealed against his will.

“What for?” Batman barked the question, his fury growing hotter.

“Darkseid wants to break the three of you and then use you to help take over the Earth,” he answered him.

“Where is Darkseid?” Diana demanded.

“Behind you, Amazon,” Darkseid growled, his hand abruptly reaching out and clutching her throat before lifting her off the ground.

“Diana!” Batman roared, horrified to see Darkseid holding Diana’s life in his hand. Beside him, Kalibak stood watching with an evil grin adorning his face.

“Stop or I will crush her throat right here,” Darkseid ruthlessly threatened, tightening his hold on her neck.

Batman stared in abject horror as Darkseid held her in his fist, her feet dangling several inches off the ground. She was covered in claw marks from the Parademons’ attack, the color beginning to drain from her face the longer she was denied air. It was gutting him not being able to reach her, the haunting voice of his elder self reminding him of what would happen if he didn’t do something fast.

 _“This shouldn’t be happening…it can’t…not now…not Diana,”_ Bruce thought.

The thoughts kept repeating in his head like an unrelenting mantra. He had let her in, attempted to start a relationship with her, not to save her life, but because he deeply loved her. Even if he could never be with her ever again, she should still be safe from this nightmare.

Diana gasped for air, struggling for her next breath as she clawed at his arm and hand in an effort to force him to break his hold on her. Her vision began to tunnel, waves of dizziness washing through her the longer she was being denied oxygen. She kicked her legs, using every bit of strength she could muster in an attempt to break free, but it was futile as unconsciousness began to drag her away.

“Let her go!” Batman furiously growled, an electrified batarang clutched tightly in his gauntleted hand. “I thought you wanted us alive. Why would you kill her now?”

“Kill her now or use her later for my own purposes…it makes no difference to me. Either way, the Amazon will no longer be in my way,” Darkseid stated, tossing Diana’s limp form aside. “Kalibak! Take her back to my palace.”

“No!” Batman yelled, noticing Steppenwolf trying to inch his way closer to him on his left.

“You will not stand in my way, mortal,” Darkseid snarled, his red eyes beginning to glow.

Batman ducked and rolled behind an overturned car, narrowly missing Darkseid’s Omega Beam. Out of nowhere, Superman appeared, flying straight into Darkseid and taking the fight away from his friends. Batman swiftly scrambled to his feet, racing towards Diana only to be stopped by Steppenwolf who blocked his way.

“You’re next, Batman,” Steppenwolf threatened him, ready for a fight.

Batman’s lips twisted into a furious sneer as he glowered at the man standing between him and Diana who was still lying unmoving on the ground. He needed to get to her, needed to get her to the infirmary. He was not about to let this monster keep him from saving her.

He surreptitiously reached into his utility belt, pulling out several batbombs. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the bombs, throwing another batarang with his other hand at the same time. Steppenwolf easily deflected the batarang, but didn’t see the batbombs that rolled to a stop at his feet until it was too late.

Smoke began to pour from the bombs, buying Batman some much needed time. He raced towards the spot where Diana had just been to find that she no longer there. He frantically looked around, spotting Kalibak carrying her towards one of the boom tubes.

Batman raced towards her only to be stopped by Steppenwolf plowing into him and pinning him to the ground. Bruce lifted his head and slammed his forehead into Steppenwolf’s, dazing him. He swiftly threw him off him, rolling and flipping back onto his feet.

Diana began to come to, fighting against the heavy fog of unconsciousness that attempted to keep her out of the fight. She could hear the deadly battle being waged around her, reminding her that she needed to fight. Her eyes flew open, desperation mingled with rage pulsating through her veins.

Her fist flew up, connecting with Kalibak’s jaw and knocking him back. She immediately took to the air, spotting Batman fighting with Steppenwolf. She flew directly at Steppenwolf, delivering a punishing blow. His head snapped to the side as he stumbled backwards with the force of her punch.

Batman was more than relieved that Diana was still alive, but he knew they still had a long ways to go before this fight was over. Darkseid was trading blows with Superman as the rest of the League continued to deal with the Parademon Troopers that were terrorizing Metropolis.

“Get him into a boom tube!” Batman yelled at her as he worked on the Mother Box that he’d taken from Granny Goodness.

Diana unleashed her fury on Steppenwolf, disorienting him long enough to pick him up and throw him through the boom tube that Batman had opened up for her. Turning, she was just in time to witness Darkseid release his Omega Beam straight at Batman.

“No!” she hoarsely yelled, racing towards Bruce.

Diana slammed into him at the same time that Darkseid’s Omega Beam released, causing them to land hard on the ground with Diana on top of Batman. Dazed, she slowly lifted her head, staring into Batman’s face to find him struggling to breathe.

“No…no…” she breathlessly murmured, her voice hoarse from Darkseid’s attack. Diana drew back to find a hole in his chest. “Bruce, no…no, you have to stay with me.”

“Diana,” he whispered. His cowled gaze turned towards her, the corners of his lips curling slightly as blood began to escape from the corner of his mouth. He weakly raised his gloved hand, brushing away the tears that were beginning to stream down her face. “My beautiful Diana…”

“No, don’t you dare…do this to me,” she angrily rasped, fighting for her own breaths. “You can’t…you can’t, Bruce.”

“I’m so sorry…Princess,” he wheezed as he drew a final, shuddering breath.

His hand fell away from her face as the tears continued to trail down her cheeks. She held his lifeless body in her arms as she cried uncontrollably, her anguish overwhelming her. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, begging him to open his eyes for her.

She felt an unexpected hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look away from Bruce. She found Superman standing next to her, tears shining in his eyes. “Diana…I’m so sorry,” he said.

“No…no…this can’t be happening,” she hoarsely replied. “It was supposed to me…not him. It was supposed…to be me…”

“Diana—” Superman began.

“Hera…Athena….Aphrodite…please,” she tearfully rasped, ignoring Kal. “My life for his…please, let me take his place in Elysium. I’ll do anything you want…just please save the man that I love.”

“He’s gone, Diana,” Superman gently told her.

Several tense moments passed by without any answer to her prayers. Diana’s tears continued to fall on her dead lover, refusing to give up on him. “Please! Take me instead!” she roughly screamed. “I’ll give you anything.”

Aphrodite suddenly appeared before Diana in a burst of white light, her gaze falling on the lifeless hero in Diana’s arms. “Your prayers have been heard, Princess Diana,” she gently told her, kneeling down on the other side of Bruce, her hand coming to rest against Diana’s tear-stained cheek.

Diana gazed at her through tear-filled eyes, her heart shattered. “I’ll give you anything, Lady Aphrodite,” she hoarsely whispered. “My life for his…please. I love him. I’ll pay the price no matter what it is.”

“I will only require your immortality to save his life,” Aphrodite replied, laying her hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Are you willing?”

“Diana, do you really want to—” Superman attempted to cut in, but it was futile.

Diana’s mind was already made up. “Yes,” she murmured without a second thought. “Just please save him.”

Clark watched as Aphrodite placed two fingers on Diana’s forehead, her right hand doing the same to Batman’s chest. A glimmer of light momentarily encompassed all three of them before disappearing just as abruptly, Aphrodite gone from sight. 

Diana immediately looked down to find Bruce beginning to stir in her arms. “Bruce?” she whispered.

“Princess,” he softly murmured, drawing a shuddering breath as he sat up.

“It’s all right,” she hoarsely reassured him.

“Darkseid is gone,” Superman confirmed. “I sent him back through a boom tube and the League is rounding up the last of the parademons. It’s all over.”

Batman looked around before his eyes settled on Diana. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “What happened, Princess?”

“I’m going to go help with clean up,” Superman announced, wanting to give them some time alone.

“Nothing,” she replied with a shake of her head. “You’re alive and that’s all that matters now.”

Bruce knew it was more than that. He had felt his life draining from his body, heard her frantic cries begging her deities to allow her to take his place. “What did you do, Diana?” he demanded, his gaze narrowing darkly.

“I gave up…my immortality…to save you,” she told him, fighting to get the words out past her damaged vocal cords.

“No…please, tell me you didn’t,” he said, shaking his head in stunned disbelief.

“It was the only way…to save you,” she angrily rasped. “I’d do it all over again…in a heartbeat…if it meant saving your life.”

His hand came to rest against her cheek, overwhelmed by what she had sacrificed just for him. “Diana…” he murmured, fighting to find the words that he wanted to say to her, but where would he even start? “We need to get you to the infirmary.”

“I’m fine,” she whispered as they stood to their feet.

“Far from it,” he stated with a frown, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he taped his commlink. “Watchtower…two for transport.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, there you have it! One more chapter after this that will wrap everything up because you know we still need to get Bruce and Diana back together, right?
> 
> UP NEXT: Bruce and Diana talk...and kiss...and kiss...and kiss & makeup. Also Alex gets a happy ending too! :)


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ THIS IF YOU WANT A CLIFFHANGER ENDING! HOPE YOU ENJOY!
> 
> *DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT A CLIFFHANGER ENDING*

Chapter 30

**_Wayne Private Jet; October 10th, 21:46 EST_ **

Diana stared thoughtfully out the window of the jet, the book in her lap lying open to the same page for the last thirty minutes or so. She still couldn’t begin to believe how this weekend had played out. It had been so unexpected from what she had originally thought. She was also positive it didn’t necessarily go according to Bruce’s well laid-out plans either.

She had thought they’d go undercover, catch their thief and put him away, returning home to resume their responsibilities once more. She’d never dreamed that they would end up befriending the thief or offer him a chance at redemption. On top of that, Catwoman and Lex Luthor had made unexpected appearance, adding a whole other degree of trouble to the mix.

A frown formed on Diana’s lips as she realized that she never saw Selina again after the party last night, her presence missing this morning at the farewell breakfast. Bruce had told her about his encounter with her last night, stopping her from stealing any of the jewels and giving her a chance to turn over a new leaf.

She knew that seeing Selina this weekend had affected Bruce in a way, but not in the way that she had expected. She thought that it would’ve awoken feelings in him, causing him to second guess his decision to give in to the attraction that had been developing between them for so long now. Instead, it seemed to have only confirmed in his mind that Selina was a part of his past.

Lex Luthor had also been a notable absence this morning, making her wonder what hole he’d crawled into now after losing the Excalibur documents. After Alex had retrieved Excalibur, Luthor had gone into a blinding rage, trashing Madeleine’s office, but thankfully not laying a finger on her. 

She’d stayed long enough after Alex had made his escape to make sure that Lex didn’t hurt Madeleine. The conspiring pair had gotten into a nasty argument, various items being thrown before Luthor had finally stormed out. Diana had followed him back to his suite before heading back to her own to wait for Bruce. 

Diana smiled to herself as she thought about the farewell breakfast. They’d said their goodbyes to Spencer and Emily, exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in contact once they returned the States. They were certainly an amusing pair, a couple that she wouldn’t mind seeing again.

The hardest part had been saying goodbye to Alex. She was definitely going to miss him. He had promised to visit them the next time he was in Gotham. She had a feeling that visit might be coming sooner rather than later after Alex’s meeting with the Dark Knight of Gotham.

Alex had promised Batman that he would return the things that he had stolen. Some arrangement had been made between them for a dead drop, Batman returning the things that had been taken in the States. It warmed her heart that Bruce had given Alex the opportunity to turn his life around while also stopping Luthor from getting his hands on the plans for a deadly weapon.

The most amazing moment of the weekend, though, was what had happened between her and Bruce. While she had hoped to make Bruce see that they were worth taking a chance on, she’d never imagined that he would be so willing to give in to what they’ve both wanted for so long.

Now, they were going home, returning to their lives and real responsibilities. She still couldn’t help feeling a sense of apprehension about how well Bruce was going to adjust to the changes that were going to have to take place in order to accommodate this new relationship they were embarking on.

He was not someone who relished change or a man who just opened himself up on a regular basis. He was closed off at best, a man who kept his emotions under lock and key. She had never been in a relationship before and Bruce was hardly a man who wore his heart on his sleeves. This was definitely going to take a lot of work to navigate this new territory together. She just hoped that he was willing to try.

Besides Bruce’s issues, there was the fact that he was hiding something from her, something that he had learned about in the future. She knew trying to get him to talk about it was going to be next to impossible, but she felt that she had the right to know since it obviously involved her.

Bruce glanced at her out the corner of his eye for the thousandth time since they’d left England. He’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off her most of the flight, but now it was for a different reason. He could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind, making him worried about what that something could be.

He hoped she wasn’t having doubts about them, second guessing her decision to start a relationship with him. He was willing to do whatever he had to in order to try to make this work with her. He knew it was going to be difficult with the lives that they led, but he wanted this with her more than anything in this world.

Unable to bear another moment of not knowing, Bruce reached over and took her hand in his, drawing her attention. “Hey…what’s on your mind?”

Turning towards him, Diana gave him a small smile, wondering if she should even bring it up. Drawing a deep breath, she decided they needed to talk about it if they were going to make this relationship work. She just hoped that he would go against his every instinct and open up to her about it.

“Bruce, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I know that you learned something about me in the future,” she began, watching as a dark storm quickly clouded his eyes. “What is it? What’s going to happen to me that you don’t want to talk about?”

Bruce grew tense with her question, a deep frown forming. “Diana, I don’t want to talk about it,” he firmly dismissed her; shaking his head as his elder self’s voice filled his head all over again.

_“Once she dies in your arms maybe you’ll finally understand what I’ve been trying to tell you…or maybe it will take her using her last breath in order to tell you that she loves you and that she’ll be waiting for you in Elysium before you’ll get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours. Of course, by then, it’ll be too late for either of you.”_

It had been the source of countless haunting nightmares since he’d returned from the future. He hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about it, not even Alfred. How in the world could he ever talk to her about it…talk about how she was supposed to die in his arms?

“Bruce…please talk to me,” she pleaded with him.

His throat clenched painfully, threatening to steal his breath as he shook his head. “It no longer matters now anyways. Things have changed since then.”

It was Diana’s turn to frown as she studied him, her mind racing to put the pieces together. She could tell that whatever he had learned had affected him deeply. He was clearly unnerved by her even bringing it up and she still had no idea what it was that was going to happen, but she had her suspicions.

She squeezed his hand, forcing him to look at her. “Bruce, if something is going to happen to me then I deserve to know,” she pressed, refusing to back down now. “I’m going to die…aren’t I?”

Anger ignited inside of him along with ice cold fear, all of his bottled up feelings rapidly rising to the surface and desperate for release. He pulled his hand free from her hold as he jumped to his feet, startling her. “You are not going to die,” he angrily snapped as he began to pace.

“Do I die on a mission?” she asked, dread welling up within her with the way that Bruce was reacting. Whatever it was that was going to happen to her, it was definitely horrifying. She prayed that she was the only casualty. The thought of Bruce or any of her teammates dying as well made her ill to her core. She couldn’t let that happen.

“You are not going to die, Diana,” he ground out the words again, his anger punctuating every syllable. He turned to face her, the emotion blazing brightly in his eyes like twin azure infernos stunning her speechless. “I will not lose you. I hopefully changed the timeline enough that I won’t lose you too now.”

Diana was taken aback by his confession as she numbly stood to her feet. “Bruce,” she murmured, taking his hand in hers. “What did you do? How did you change the timeline?” She knew how dangerous that was to do. It could have an unknown domino effect that could be beyond disastrous.

His chin fell to his chest as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He swallowed hard, trying to find the words to explain it to her. “We made love, Diana,” he finally replied. “I made the decision to take a chance on us instead of shutting you out once again.”

Stunned, Diana didn’t know what to think or to say as she stared at him in stunned disbelief. “So…you made love with me…in order to change the timeline and keep me from dying?” she questioned him, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” Bruce heatedly stated, his head snapping up to look at her. “That’s not the reason, Diana.”

“Mister Wayne,” the pilot’s voice came over the speaker. “We’ll be landing in Gotham in approximately ten minutes. Please buckle your seatbelts.”

“No, it’s okay, Bruce,” she murmured, releasing his hand and taking her seat. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. I understand it all now.”

Bruce could feel the plane begin its descent, forcing him to take his seat as well. “Diana, let me explain,” he pleaded as he turned to face her. “It’s not what you think.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about,” she numbly replied, staring straight ahead of her as swallowed back the hot tears building behind her eyes. “You did what you had to do in order to save my life.”

“What?” Bruce growled, his anger and panic rapidly mounting. “I did not make love to you to just to save your life, Princess. If that was all sleeping with you was going to mean to me, I would’ve seduced you months ago.”

“Are you sure about that?” she icily asked, turning a furious gaze on him. “It was a sound, tactical decision, one that you normally would’ve made in order to ensure that the Justice League still had Wonder Woman to help defend the Earth from whatever is obviously still coming.”

“Diana, I would never do that to you. You mean far too much to me to treat you like you’re nothing more than a meaningless fling,” he growled, his heart racing with growing panic. Everything was falling apart faster than he could hold it together. She was slipping through his fingers and he didn’t know how to stop it.

“It’s all right,” she evenly stated, looking away from him for fear of breaking down. “As a warrior, I understand you decision.”

“No…no, you don’t understand,” he angrily retorted.

Diana unbuckled her seatbelt as the plane landed at Gotham airport, wanting desperately to get away from here…away from him. She couldn’t bear to look at him knowing now why he had given into his desire for her. She had known that something had made him finally decide to begin a relationship with her, but she hadn’t realized it had only been to change the timelines and save her life.

She quickly grabbed her bag before marching towards the opening door of the airplane only to be stopped by Bruce abruptly seizing her wrist, his grip like a steel band. “Diana, please, don’t leave me,” he begged her. “You have to let me explain.”

She didn’t bother turning around to face him, couldn’t look into his eyes and know that she loved him, but he didn’t feel the same for her. It had been nothing more than a ploy to keep her from dying. She had always known that he was a good actor. She had seen him in action too many times over the years. She just never dreamed that he would try it on her.

“You won’t have to pretend any longer that you care about me, Bruce,” she managed to choke out, pulling her arm free. “Thank you for saving my life, but I can take care of myself from now on.”

“Diana!” he yelled, his legs feeling as though they were about to buckle.

Bruce watched in stunned disbelief as she flew out of the jet without even looking back at him or letting him explain anything to her. With a breaking heart, he dropped into his seat once more, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands.

He had no idea how long he had sat there until the sound of Alfred’s voice pulled him out of his anguished thoughts. “Master Bruce?” he tentatively called to him, worry lacing his voice. “Is everything all right?”

Bruce lifted his head to look at his surrogate father, fighting back the emotion that clogged his throat. “I lost her, Alfred,” he softly murmured. “I…I lost the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don’t know how to begin to get her back.”

“How about you start from the beginning as I drive you home and we’ll see what we can do about straightening things out with Miss Diana?” Alfred suggested.

Bruce slowly nodded his head in agreement as he dazedly stood to his feet, his heart heavier than it had been before learning of Diana’s fate from his future self. It had been horrifying enough to think of her dying, but now he knew just how much he was actually losing and it was absolutely everything.

**_Watchtower; October 12th, 16:12 EST_ **

Diana lay on her bed in her quarters just staring out the window at the endless expanse of stars, her arms wrapped tightly around one of her pillows. She’d been lying in this position since last night, going straight to her quarters after returning from England two days ago. She’d requested a couple of days off from J’onn, needing time to think and come to terms with what had happened with Bruce.

She hadn’t slept at all since their last night in England…her last night sharing a bed and her body with Bruce. She was still trying to wrap her mind around it all, trying to comprehend how she could have been so blind...so very foolish to have fallen for his act.

Bruce had always been so reticent and distant when it came to opening his heart or dealing with his feelings. It was why their flirting over the years had never developed into anything more serious. He didn’t want the complications of a relationship and definitely not one with her.

That was why she had buried her feelings for him, moving on and doing her best to forget about sharing anything more than friendship with him. Then, she’d discovered that she had been falling in love with him despite trying so hard not to, despite trying to ignore what had been growing in her heart.

She had actually believed that he cared about her too…that he wanted to be with her and was finally willing to step out from behind all his walls to try with her. Now, she knew it had all been nothing more than a plan to keep her from dying.

Her mind took her back to that moment in the commissary when she had approached Bruce and John’s table to hear Bruce talking about her. What had he called her? A remarkable woman…a valued friend? That was all she really was to him. He had slept with her in order to save a colleague from death. Nothing more.

Tears began to brim in her eyes all over again, but she blinked them away as she drew a deep, shuddering breath. She would not cry over a man despite the fact that her heart was breaking. She would handle this like every other battle she’d ever been in. She would bury her pain and her anger, throwing herself into her mission of peace and love.

Diana glanced at the clock, her mind unconsciously drifting back to Bruce. She couldn’t help wondering what he was doing now. He had called her multiple times over her commlink, sending her text messages. He sounded just as miserable as she was feeling; making her wonder if she should actually give him a chance to explain.

At the same time, she didn’t know if she could handle seeing him right now, not after what she’d learn. It was hard enough hearing his voice over her commlink without actually seeing him. She missed him terribly, but the hurt and anger still roiled fiercely inside her, keeping her from returning his countless calls.

“Batman to Wonder Woman.”

Diana squeezed her eyes closed against the flood of tears that immediately besieged her with the sound of his voice all over again, causing her to swallow back a sob. She fought the urge to answer his hail, needing time to think and decide what it was that she wanted to do.

“Damn it, Diana. I know you can hear me,” he angrily growled, his voice choked with anger as well as anguish. “I know that I hurt you, but please give me a chance to explain. It’s not what you think it is.”

Several moments of tense silence followed—Diana fighting to contain her heartache, Bruce struggling to find the words that would finally get through to her.

“I’m not going to give up on you, Princess,” he heatedly stated, his resolve sharp and hard like steel filling his voice. “I’m not going to give up on us...not now, not ever.”

**_Batcave; October 12th, 16:45 EST_ **

Bruce ended the call, hoping that maybe he had gotten through to her this time. He sank back in his chair with a heavy heart, raking his fingers back through his hair. With a weary sigh, he leaned forward to hold his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He couldn’t believe how badly he’d screwed everything up.

Everything had spiraled so far out of control, his life going from perfect to so empty in the blink of an eye. He had only been trying to protect her and to keep her safe. Now, she believed he’d only slept with her to keep her from dying, but she still didn’t know the whole truth.

She didn’t know how desperately he loved her…far more than he’d ever loved another and now she hated him.

He was more than resolved to get her back no matter what it took or how long. One way or another, he was going to prove to her that he loved her and wanted her in his life. He just needed to figure out how to do that, how to get her to even talk to him again.

Lifting his head, Bruce began typing on his keyboard, pulling up the security feed on the Watchtower. His heart clenched painfully as he brought up the image of Diana lying on her side on her bed, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. It was the exact same position that she’d been in when he’d return from patrol this morning just before dawn.

Fury coursed through his veins as he stood to his feet, his gauntleted hands clenching into tight fists as he stared at her image on the computer screen. His entire body grew rigid as he watched her wipe tears from her face. With a cry of pure rage, he slammed his fist into the computer screen, a shower of sparks flying everywhere.

He’d had more than enough of this. He was going up there to talk to her whether she liked it or not. He was going to march into her quarters and tell her everything…tell her how deeply he loved her, how he wanted her with him. If she broke him in two after that then so be it, but at least he’d told her how he truly felt about her.

Besides, no amount of physical pain she could inflict on him could possibly come anywhere close to the pain that consumed him now. Pulling his cowl up and over his face, he stalked straight towards the transporter, more than prepared to get her back. He was not about to go another night without her in his bed.

His commlink went off as he began punching in the codes for transport, giving him a flicker of hope that it was Diana contacting him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

“Watchtower to Batman.”

“Not now, J’onn,” he spat out, angered by the interruption.

“Boom tubes are opening up all over Metropolis,” J’onn grimly informed him. “We need all available members on site now to stop an invasion.”

“On my way,” Batman stated as he turned towards the Batwing.

His heart that had been filled with so much hurt just moments ago was now filled with overwhelming dread. This was it. This must be the fight that his elder self had lost Diana in, a battle against Darkseid and his army. His legs felt like lead as he raced towards the Batwing, his mind racing almost as fast as his heart.

He knew there was no chance of keeping Diana out of this fight, to keep her safe on the Watchtower. All he could do now was try to get there before she did and make sure she came out of this battle with Darkseid alive. 

In his heart and mind, there was no other acceptable outcome.

**_Metropolis; October 12th, 17:03_ **

Diana materialized in the very heart of battle, horror sweeping through her at what she found playing out right before her eyes. Parademon troopers were everywhere, swarming the skies and diving at terrified people running for their lives.

Justice League members were materializing on scene at a rapid rate, others flying in to help stop Darkseid’s invasion. She should have known the Female Furies’ appearance two weeks ago had been a precursor to something even bigger being planned by Darkseid.

With a furious scowl gracing her face, Diana immediately flew into action, soaring up into the air. She took out two parademons by slamming their heads together, tossing them aside before grabbing a couple more. It didn’t seem to matter how many she took out as she crushed one Parademon after another. They just kept coming, appearing out of nowhere. They needed to shut down those boom tubes now.

Smoke filled the air from the destruction they’d created so far, buildings crumbling and fires blazing as if Tartarus itself had just materialized right here in Metropolis. She couldn’t help wondering if Ares somehow had a hand in this as well, but she knew that Darkseid needed no help in creating such perverse devastation.

Turning, Diana spotted Lashina stepping out of a nearby boom tube, clearly recovered from the beating that Diana had given her just two weeks before. She was more than anxious for a rematch, wanting to pay the Female Fury back for the countless electrical burns that she’d received. 

Diana flew at her like a heat-seeking missile, a sneer curling her lips as she rammed into the Female Fury, driving right into the side of a building. Lashina quickly jumped to her feet, breathing hard and glaring daggers at Diana.

“You!” Lashina hissed, whips clenched tightly in her hands as she glowered at her. “I’m more than anxious for a little retribution.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Diana spat out as they began to circle one another.

“You’re going to die today, Amazon,” Lashina brashly threatened her, cracking one of her whips at her.

“So I’ve been told,” she retorted, jaw clenching tightly with the reminder of what Bruce had told her.

Lashina charged at Diana, wildly flinging her whips at her. One whip narrowly missed wrapping around Diana’s throat while the second lashed around her right arm, creating a nasty electrical burn that coiled down the length of her limb like a snake.

Ignoring it, Diana immediately reached out and grabbed hold of the whip, grimacing with the powerful current that seared through her like a thousand bolts of lightning. She swiftly jerked the Female Fury towards her, slamming her fist directly into her face. 

Lashina’s head snapped back with the powerful blow, blood dripping from her nose as her grip loosened on her whips. She struggled to remain conscious and upright, somehow managing to weakly swing her fist at the Amazon in an attempt to mount some sort of defense.

Diana grabbed hold of Lashina’s wrist, crushing the bones with a loud snap and causing the Fury to cry out in pain. She poured every bit of her anger and hurt into her fight with Lashina, delivering one punishing blow after another until she was nothing more than an unconscious heap on the ground.

Diana turned, catching sight of the Batwing arriving on the scene, shooting down one parademon after another. Knowing he was here caused her heart to stutter, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as a hoard of Parademons converged on her at once. 

Six Parademons jumped on her, clawing and biting at her in an attempt to take her down. She could hardly breathe with the weight of the Troopers driving her down into the ground. With a Themyscirian curse, she slowly forced herself back up onto her feet, her legs near trembling with the effort.

She tried to hit as many of them as she could, but there were so many of them trying to tear her apart with their claws. She unexpectedly felt some of the weight being lifted off her, allowing her to get a full swing in. She slammed her fist into one Parademon, her fingers wrapping around the throat of another and crushing it. She grabbed the last two, slamming them together and finishing them off. Breathing heavily, she turned to find three of them lying on the ground at her feet with Batarangs sticking out of them. She didn’t want him looking out for her. She could take care of herself.

She quickly looked around for Batman, needing to know that he was safe to find him fighting off Granny Goodness. He was trying to stop the Fury as well as trying to get his hands on the Mother Box she no doubt had in her possession. Unfortunately, Lashina hadn’t been carrying one.

Looking up, Diana spotted Superman flying overhead, using his heat vision to burn through dozens of Parademons at a time. It seemed to be starting to turn the fight in their favor, but she knew it could change at any given moment, especially when Darkseide was involved.

A boom tube suddenly opened up, Steppenwolf stepping out with his sights set on Batman. “Batman!” Diana yelled. “Watch out!”

Without a second thought, Diana reached for her lasso, throwing it at Steppenwolf and keeping him from getting his hands on Batman who had just finished trying up Granny Goodness. Batman spun on his heel to find a snarling Steppenwolf struggling furiously against Diana’s magic lasso.

“What is your plan?” Batman ordered him to answer.

“We came for you, Superman, and Wonder Woman,” Steppenwolf revealed against his will.

“What for?” Batman barked the question, his fury growing hotter.

“Darkseid wants to break the three of you and then use you to help take over the Earth,” he answered him.

“Where is Darkseid?” Diana demanded.

“Behind you, Amazon,” Darkseid growled, his hand abruptly reaching out and clutching her throat before lifting her off the ground.

“Diana!” Batman roared, horrified to see Darkseid holding Diana’s life in his hand. Beside him, Kalibak stood watching with an evil grin adorning his face.

“Stop or I will crush her throat right here,” Darkseid ruthlessly threatened, tightening his hold on her neck.

Batman stared in abject horror as Darkseid held her in his fist, her feet dangling several inches off the ground. She was covered in claw marks from the Parademons’ attack, the color beginning to drain from her face the longer she was denied air. It was gutting him not being able to reach her, the haunting voice of his elder self reminding him of what would happen if he didn’t do something fast.

“This shouldn’t be happening…it can’t…not now…not Diana,” Bruce thought.

The thoughts kept repeating in his head like an unrelenting mantra. He had let her in, attempted to start a relationship with her, not to save her life, but because he deeply loved her. Even if he could never be with her ever again, she should still be safe from this nightmare.

Diana gasped for air, struggling for her next breath as she clawed at his arm and hand in an effort to force him to break his hold on her. Her vision began to tunnel, waves of dizziness washing through her the longer she was being denied oxygen. She kicked her legs, using every bit of strength she could muster in an attempt to break free, but it was futile as unconsciousness began to drag her away.

“Let her go!” Batman furiously growled, an electrified batarang clutched tightly in his gauntleted hand. “I thought you wanted us alive. Why would you kill her now?”

“Kill her now or use her later for my own purposes…it makes no difference to me. Either way, the Amazon will no longer be in my way,” Darkseid stated, tossing Diana’s limp form aside. “Kalibak! Take her back to my palace.”

“No!” Batman yelled, noticing Steppenwolf trying to inch his way closer to him on his left.

“You will not stand in my way, mortal,” Darkseid snarled, his red eyes beginning to glow.

Batman ducked and rolled behind an overturned car, narrowly missing Darkseid’s Omega Beam. Out of nowhere, Superman appeared, flying straight into Darkseid and taking the fight away from his friends. Batman swiftly scrambled to his feet, racing towards Diana only to be stopped by Steppenwolf who blocked his way.

“You’re next, Batman,” Steppenwolf threatened him, ready for a fight.

Batman’s lips twisted into a furious sneer as he glowered at the man standing between him and Diana who was still lying unmoving on the ground. He needed to get to her, needed to get her to the infirmary. He was not about to let this monster keep him from saving her.

He surreptitiously reached into his utility belt, pulling out several batbombs. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the bombs, throwing another batarang with his other hand at the same time. Steppenwolf easily deflected the batarang, but didn’t see the batbombs that rolled to a stop at his feet until it was too late.

Smoke began to pour from the bombs, buying Batman some much needed time. He raced towards the spot where Diana had just been to find that she was no longer there. He frantically looked around, spotting Kalibak carrying her towards one of the boom tubes.

Batman raced towards her only to be stopped by Steppenwolf plowing into him and pinning him to the ground. Bruce lifted his head and slammed his forehead into Steppenwolf’s, dazing him. He swiftly threw him off him, rolling and flipping back onto his feet.

Diana began to come to, fighting against the heavy fog of unconsciousness that attempted to keep her out of the fight. She could hear the deadly battle being waged around her, reminding her that she needed to fight. Her eyes flew open, desperation mingled with rage pulsating through her veins.

Her fist flew up, connecting with Kalibak’s jaw and knocking him back. She immediately took to the air, spotting Batman fighting with Steppenwolf. She flew directly at Steppenwolf, delivering a punishing blow. His head snapped to the side as he stumbled backwards with the force of her punch.

Batman was more than relieved that Diana was still alive, but he knew they still had a long ways to go before this fight was over. Darkseid was trading blows with Superman as the rest of the League continued to deal with the Parademon Troopers that were terrorizing Metropolis.

“Get him into a boom tube!” Batman yelled at her as he worked on the Mother Box that he’d taken from Granny Goodness.

Diana unleashed her fury on Steppenwolf, disorienting him long enough to pick him up and throw him through the boom tube that Batman had opened up for her. Turning, she was just in time to witness Darkseid release his Omega Beam straight at Batman.

“No!” she hoarsely yelled, racing towards Bruce.

Diana slammed into him at the same time that Darkseid’s Omega Beam released, causing them to land hard on the ground with Diana on top of Batman. Dazed, she slowly lifted her head, staring into Batman’s face to find him struggling to breathe.

Diana struggled to her feet, ignoring the burn on her shoulder from Darkseid’s Omega Beam. Before she could reach down to help Batman up, Kalibak grabbed her by the throat. “You’re coming with us, Amazon,” he growled at her as he began to drag her away.

“Diana!” Batman yelled as he staggered to his feet, trying to regain the breath that she had knocked out his lungs.

He needed to get to her, to keep them from taking her away from him. He threw several batbombs as he raced towards Kalibak, desperate to get to her. Parademon Troopers continued to swarm around him, blocking his view and attempting to stop him from getting to her.

He dodged a Parademon that was diving at him, throwing an electrified batarang that swiftly disposed of it. He slammed his fist into another, not allowing it to slow him down. His eyes were locked on Diana being dragged away by Kalibak, mounting panic beginning to eat away at the edges of his sanity. His mind that was an indomitable weapon was threatening to shut down in that moment.

He mentally tightened his grip on his steel-like control, refusing to give into the terror that he could feel creeping up his throat and threatening to steal his breath. His jaw was locked as tight as a steel trap as he dove under a Parademon racing headlong at him, reaching up with a razor-sharp batarang to rip the beast from stem to stern.

Getting back onto his feet, Batman drew another batarang, a boom tube opening up as Kalibak drew closer with Diana in his arms. He threw his batarang with deadly precision, his trusted weapon being blocked by Darkseid who stepped in that moment.

Batman released a furious cry as Kalibak turned back to look at him, a devious smirk on his lips just before he stepped through the boom tube with Diana. “No!” the Dark Knight roared, more than prepared to follow him to the very ends of the universe in order to get her back.

The thought of her being at the mercy of Darkseid and whatever maniacal schemes he had in mind nearly buckled his knees. Fury unlike anything he’d ever known before seared through every fiber of his being as the boom tube closed just seconds before he could reach it.

Frantically turning, he spotted Superman flying after Darkseid who disappeared through another boom tube. Superman turned to look at Batman, both staring at each other in utter disbelief. Darkseid was gone and so was Diana.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, there you have it, gang! Diana is gone! What is Darkseid going to do to her? How will Bruce and the League get her back? You will find out in the sequel "To Save an Amazon". I'll start it right after Family Ties and Deadly Intentions so hang with me! Hope you enjoyed the ride! :)


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the happy ending for everyone waiting for it! Enjoy! :)

Chapter 31

**_Watchtower; October 12th, 20:17 EST_ **

Batman stood silently off to the side, arms crossed against his chest and a scowl firmly fixed on his face. His jaw was clenched tight enough to crack teeth, but that was the least of his concerns at that moment. What consumed him was sitting on the medical bed being evaluated by J’onn.

He was not the least bit happy that Diana had given up her immortality in order to save his life, but he was going to have to learn to come to terms with it now. There was nothing that could be done about it. Besides, he still needed to figure out how to get her back.

Diana was not a fickle woman. When she cared, she cared with every bit of her heart, holding nothing of herself back. It was obvious she still cared for him. She had sacrificed so much for him today. She had saved his life, giving him a chance at happiness once more and he wasn’t going to waste it. He was going to do whatever it took to get her back.

Bruce tore his gaze away as Diana argued vehemently with J’onn, insisting that she was perfectly fine despite the fact that her vocal cords were damaged and she could barely talk, countless claw marks marking her skin. He was more than relieved the injuries within the League hadn’t been severe, the worst being his own death at the hands of Darkseid. Thankfully, no one was aware of that fact save for Diana and Clark.

Fire was currently being tended to for a head injury. Oliver was getting stitches in his upper arm while Dinah held his other hand. Past them, Vigilante was having his ribs wrapped while Shayera was being treated for a nasty leg wound. Several other League members were being tended to for various injuries from the Parademon Troopers, but thankfully no fatalities…this time.

They had been very fortunate today. They might not be so lucky the next time and he had no doubt in his mind that there would be a next time. Darkseid had escaped, but he knew that he would back. It was only a matter of time before he re-amassed his army and launched another attempt. 

What worried him the most was the fact that Darkseid was after Superman, Diana and himself. He was after the three of them, hoping to break them and turn them against Earth. As his gaze returned to Diana, he couldn’t suppress the raw fear that shivered through him with the notion of her being at the mercy of Darkseid.

Yes, they had been very lucky today, but, more than that, he knew that he had been very fortunate too even if he was struggling to accept the precious gift that she had given him. Her fiery blue eyes met his at that moment, so many emotions playing out across her face, all of them fighting to be recognized.

They had so many things they needed to talk about, so much they had to work through together. Despite giving up her immortality in order to save his life, she still believed that he had only slept with her in order to save her life, but it couldn’t be any further from the truth.

He internally cringed at the dark purple bruising around her throat, Darkseid’s mark that he’d left behind on her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and feel her body pressed against his, to know that she was going to be all right. Watching Darkseid holding her off the ground by her throat had scared the life out of him, further cementing in his heart and mind how much he truly loved her…how much he needed her in his life.

He had no idea how she had gotten such a powerful hold on him. He never believed that he needed anyone in life until she’d managed to work her way into his heart. He’d analyzed it and tried to dissect it, but it made no sense how she had managed to do something no one else had ever been able to do.

But this was Diana. She defied all rules and laws, demolishing all sense of logic with her warmth and compassion, her grace and that knee-buckling smile that could thaw even the most frozen of hearts. The only explanation was that she was Diana and he wanted her back.

“Well, your vocal cords are swollen and you have severe bruising, but I see no emergent reason to keep you here,” J’onn finally spoke with a grim expression. “Besides, I highly doubt that you would stay if I did try to keep you here.”

“I told you I was fine,” Diana insisted as she hopped off the table, her voice still hoarse. It would likely be that way until the swelling had gone down. Thankfully, it hadn’t been any worse.

Diana could tell by Bruce’s stiff stance that he was grappling with all that had happened today. It had to be rather disconcerting to feel one’s life drain away only to just as abruptly be brought back to life and by magic no less. Bruce absolutely hated magic.

As she slowly approached him, Bruce abruptly turned on his heel without uttering a single word, marching out of the infirmary. Diana drew a deep breath as she followed him, uncertain of his destination or if there was even any hope of salvaging their relationship that had barely even gotten off the ground yet.

After what had happened today, she had realized that she loved Bruce far too much to give up on them, to not give him a chance to explain everything. She just couldn’t understand how everything had gone from being so perfect between them to such an utter mess.

Looking up, Diana realized that she had followed him to his quarters. She’d assumed that he’d want to return to Gotham as quickly as possible, avoiding any and all conversation about what had happened today until he’d time to deal with it on his own time.

Bruce obviously didn’t seem interested in talking to her, though. He hadn’t said a single word since they’d left the infirmary. She just hoped and prayed that they would still be able to work things out. She’d had a glimpse how amazing things could be between them and she wasn’t about to let that go…to let him go.

She was still hurt by his deception and yet she didn’t regret saving his life. She loved him deeply. Nothing was ever going to change that. He was too much a part of her life now, capturing her heart long before she’d even realized it.

Batman silently punched in his security code as Diana began to walk by him, heading to her own quarters to get cleaned up when a gauntleted hand abruptly wrapped around her arm and pulled her to a stop. He pulled her into his quarters, the door sliding shut behind them.

He stood with his back to her for several long moments, his head lowered as he struggled to find the words that he wanted to say…the things that he needed to say to her. He slowly pushed his cowl back before turning to face her.

“Bruce…” Diana began, her throat tightening with so many emotions.

“Diana…” he said at the same time, pausing to draw a deep breath.

“Go ahead,” she rasped, anxious to hear what he wanted to say and yet feeling somewhat nervous at the same time.

“Can you come to the manor tomorrow night?” he asked.

“Yes,” she murmured, her forehead creasing with worry.

“We need to talk,” he told her, slowly closing the distance between them. “I can’t do it now, Princess. Far too much has happened today…too many emotions. I just need a little time right now.”

Diana’s countenance sank, knowing deep down that he wasn’t going to be able to handle her sacrifice very well. He hated magic and, on top of that, she had made a sacrifice in order to save him. That only added to the weight of the situation, making it even harder for him to accept. He loathed appearing weak or needing help.

“I understand,” she hoarsely replied, sealing off her emotions behind the fearless expression of a warrior princess.

Removing his gauntlets, he took her hand in his, his thumb caressing the back of hers. “Be at the manor at seven o’clock,” he said.

She nodded, forcing a small smile to her lips, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll be there,” she whispered with a small nod, pulling her hand free from his.

She turned to leave only to be stopped by a firm hand on her upper arm. Before she knew it, she found herself surrounded by his strong arms, his lips firmly on hers. There was nothing gentle about his kiss. It was fierce and bruising, conveying his fear, his hurt, his need. It was all he was capable of communicating in that moment, allowing his actions to speak for him and hoping it would be enough until he could fix things tomorrow night.

Finally breaking the contact with her, Bruce rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” he softly said, his fingers stroking her cheek.

Diana smiled softly, her eyes shining brightly. She nodded her head before turning and leaving him standing there all alone, already resolved not to let him dictate the terms of their relationship no matter what transpired tomorrow night. 

Bruce raked his fingers back through his hair, trying valiantly to calm his racing heart as well as his libido. He wanted her more than his next breath, but now was not the time. He needed time to make sure he did this right.

Tomorrow he would make her his again.

**_Wayne Manor; October 13th, 18:47 EST_ **

Bruce stood in the study in front of the fireplace staring at the portrait of his parents, a glass of scotch in his hand. The soothing sounds of the fire’s occasional cracking and popping added a background noise to the thoughts and emotions that he’d been struggling with ever since returning home from the Watchtower last night.

After changing into a new uniform, he had set out on patrol, hoping it would help him sort through the events of the last few days. Unfortunately, it had proven to be an unusually quiet night. He hadn’t been able to fall into his normal routine that always seemed to help him focus his thoughts. Instead, it left him feeling restless and irritated.

Returning home before dawn, he’d undertaken a three hour workout before showering and finally collapsing into bed. Sleep had been regrettably fraught with nightmares of Darkseid killing Diana, crushing her windpipe and ending her life as well as his own.

He’d spent the rest of the day trying to focus on the unsolved cases that he’d left unattended while in England, but his mind wouldn’t let him work. All he kept thinking about was her—how much he loved her, how she had irrevocably changed his life, and the lengths that he would go to in order to get her back.

Memories of their time spent together in England only served to make him miss her even more, making him long to see her and to make love to her. At the same time, it also gave him an idea on how he might be able to help heal the hurt that he had caused her.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred interrupted his thoughts. “Miss Diana will be here shortly. Is there anything that you need?”

“No, thank you, Alfred,” Bruce replied, pausing to down the last of the alcohol in his glass.

“Might I offer you a word of advice, sir?”

“I’ll take anything at this point,” he muttered as he stared into the dancing flames before him.

“I know how difficult it is for you, but just open your heart to her,” he advised him. “Tell her everything and hold absolutely nothing back. I think you’ll find Miss Diana to possess a very forgiving spirit.”

“Despite the fact that I hurt her, she sacrificed so much for me, Alfred…far more than she should have,” he told him. “I don’t know how to accept that or where to even start to make it right again.”

“You could always start with I’m sorry and maybe we can try going from there.”

Bruce whirled around at the sound of Diana’s voice, stunned speechless by the sight of her standing there beside Alfred. She was wearing a simple red dress, but on her it was anything but simple. She looked so beautiful despite the bruising that had yet to fade away.

“I will give the two of you some privacy,” Alfred announced as he headed towards the door. “Please let me know if you require anything.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Diana rasped, the British butler giving her a wink before leaving them alone. She turned back to face Bruce to find him staring at her with that look in his piercing blue eyes that always made her shiver in response. It was unadulterated longing pure and simple.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Bruce told her, his hands finding his pants pockets as he stared at her.

“I was worried my red dress would clash with the bruises,” she replied as she briefly glanced down at her attire, attempting to lighten the mood; however, the grimace that passed over Bruce’s face did not go unnoticed by Diana. “I’m sorry, Bruce.”

“Don’t be,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m the one who is sorry, Diana. I hurt you by keeping what I had learned in the future from you, but I swear to you I didn’t sleep with you just to save your life.”

“It’s okay,” she attempted to reassure him.

He drew a deep breath, removing his hands from his pockets as he closed the distance between them. “No, it’s not,” he insisted with a deep frown. “I thought I was protecting you.”

“What was supposed to happen to me, Bruce?” she asked.

Taking her hand in his, he led her over to the leather couch, sitting down beside her. He leaned forward to brace his forearms on his thighs, forcing his mind back to the conversation with his elder self that had haunted his sleep…the one he’d been trying so hard forget. 

“When we went to the future, I noticed the way my future self looked at you when he first saw you,” he began. “It was obvious then that something horrible had happened to you. Then, you disappeared right before our eyes and I was so afraid that I’d lost you forever.

“My future self pulled me aside and told me that I needed to admit my feelings for you to save your life, to not be the fool that he had been by denying he loved you. He was a bitter, lonely old man, filled with so much pain and regret. It shocked me what I had become, how the weight of losing you had so deeply affected my future self.”

Diana reached over, placing her hand on his back. “Bruce,” she murmured his name.

“He told me that something was going to happen to you…that you died in his arms, telling him that you loved him and that you’d be waiting for him in Elysium,” he continued, turning to look at her. “He also told me that you died saving me.”

“I’m so sorry,” she softly said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. 

She could feel his pain, how this was tearing him up inside. She finally understood now why he had secluded himself away from the League and especially her after returning from the future. He had been wrestling with this revelation this whole time, trying to carry it alone.

“So when Darkseid killed you with his Omega Beam...” she surmised, her rasping voice trailing off as realization abruptly washed over her.

“It was supposed to have been you that died last night…not me,” he confirmed, having finally put the pieces together last night.

“How did the future Bruce know that admitting you had feelings for me would change the future?”

Bruce shook his head. “I don’t know,” he confessed as he gazed at the floor once more. “He left a lot of the details out. He wouldn’t even tell me what it was that was going to lead to your death. I don’t know if we had some sort of fight where I refused to give in to my feelings for you and you died after that or what happened between us. All I know is that I’ve been wracking my brain trying to find a way to save your life without having to surrender my heart to you.”

“Why, Bruce?” she asked, a single tear slipping down her cheek. “Is it really so bad to feel something for me?”

Bruce’s head snapped up in disbelief at her question. “No,” he adamantly stated, the intensity in his azure eyes revealing the truth of his answer. “Diana, I don’t always know how to handle my emotions very well. Since losing my parents, I’ve dealt with my feelings by running away from them…by keeping people at arms’ length so I don’t have to deal with them or so I won’t get hurt again. I’ve made my mission to protect Gotham my sole focus.

“I was terrified of letting you in. I was afraid that I couldn’t live up to what you needed me to be, feared that I would only end up disappointing you and driving you away. I didn’t know what it would mean for Gotham or for Batman. Could I still live and work in the darkness if I actually allowed myself to be happy?”

“What changed your mind?”

“You did,” he confessed as he turned to face her, reaching out to cup her cheek. “You made me realize that there was nothing in my life that made it worth living if you weren’t in it—my mission, Gotham, Wayne Enterprises…even Batman. None of it means anything if my life didn’t include you in it.”

Tears began to silently slip down her cheeks as she stared at him, his confession warming her heart. He gently erased the drops with his thumb as they lost themselves in each other. She slowly closed the distance between them, gently pressing her lips to his as her fingers slid up into his hair. She loved this man more than she had ever dreamed was possible and now she knew that he truly loved her in return even though he hadn’t actually given voice the words yet.

Retreating, he lightly brushed his lips against hers before standing to his feet and offering her his hand. “May I have this dance, Miss Prince?” he asked her.

Diana stood to her feet, uncertain of what he was actually up to until he reached for a remote and pressed a button. Music began to fill the room, the sound of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” surrounding them.

This was the song they had danced to the last night in England. It had been magical in every sense of the word as they had danced, their feelings for one another nearly overwhelming them. As he pulled her into his arms, she felt her love for him threatening to overwhelm her all over again.

Bruce held her close as they slowly swayed to the music, the words of the song weaving around them and through them. He smiled to himself as she laid her head on his shoulder, his nose burying in her hair as he held her. They still had so many things to work through, but he knew they were finally on the right path again.

“I love you, Diana,” he murmured in her ear, discovering the words came so easily and freely. “I should have told you sooner, but I love you and I want you here with me. That is why I made love with you. Yes, I was determined to save your life, but I had finally accepted the fact that I’m in love with you and I’m tired of pretending that I’m not…of wanting you and not having you.”

“I love you too, Bruce,” she confessed.

Despite the hoarseness of her voice, he decided that it was the most beautiful thing that he’d ever heard. It filled him with more joy that he’d ever known, but he knew that it wouldn’t last. It never did for him. They were going to have to find a way to make this work with the lives that they led, the responsibilities that would attempt to pull them in opposite directions.

He was more than determined to give her everything that he could despite all the obstacles that stood in their way, despite his stubborn demons that would rear their ugly heads. He feared, however, it wouldn’t be enough. She deserved far more than what he could ever begin to offer her.

As if sensing his worry, Diana’s hand came to rest against his cheek. “Bruce, we’ll figure this out together,” she reassured him as she caressed his jaw. “I would never ask more of you than you can give nor would I ever ask you to give up being Batman. It’s who you are…who I fell in love with.”

His lips claimed hers with a heated rush, one that quickly stole her breath as he kissed her with all the longing and love that he held in his heart for her. He cradled her head in his hands, his tongue tangling with hers as passion began to take over.

He pulled back with a sharp gasp, his breathing ragged. “I think I better give you a tour of the manor, Princess,” he murmured, his lips finding her ear. “How about we start with my bedroom?”

She dipped her head, capturing his lips in a kiss that gave him her answer. He swiftly picked her up in his arms, carrying her out of the study and up the stairs to his bedroom. Kicking the door closed behind him, he set her down, his hands roaming over her sides as he lost himself in her bright blue eyes.

His lips ghosted along her bruised throat as if silently apologizing for what Darkseid had done to her, wishing he could have stopped him. His fingers caressed her bare shoulders before pulling the thin straps of her dress down her arms, her dress pooling on the floor at her feet.

“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” he murmured against her neck beneath her ear, teeth and tongue combining to further excite her.

“Shhh…no more apologies,” she whispered. “Right now, I just want to feel how much you love me…I want to feel you inside of me.”

He growled deeply with her request, his hands gripping her thighs before lifting her up and wrapping her long legs around his waist. He graced her with a heated kissed as he carried her to his waiting bed, more than determined to spend the rest of his life showing her just how much he loved her.

**_Chicago; October 14th, 18:32 EST_ **

Hannah stood behind the desk at The Peninsula Chicago, her distracted thoughts making it more than difficult to focus on her work. She finished checking in the guest standing before her, a forced smile on her lips. Despite her best efforts, she could not forget about Peter.

He had left in the middle of the night without a word or note goodbye. When she had woken the next morning to find him gone, she had been devastated by his absence, but she had not given up hope that he would someday return.

She knew there was far more to him than he had revealed to her, discovering his name was an alias soon after he had disappeared. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she believed in her heart that he was a good man, one with a troubled past of some kind. 

She knew it was probably foolish to hope for his return, but he had managed to win her heart in the short time they had been together. Maybe it was because she had no family, leaving her alone in the world. Maybe it was because she had been looking for someone like him for so long. Maybe it was her romantic heart wishing for something that was never going to happen.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Hannah swallowed back the hurt that welled in her chest, knowing she needed to forget about Peter. She needed to move on with her life and focus on her job right now, not daydreaming about something that obviously wasn’t ever going to happen.

“Can I help you?” she asked without looking up, needing to finish entering the information on the last guest into the computer.

“Yes, I was wondering how you feel about second chances?”

Hannah froze with the familiar sound of Peter’s voice that caused a fierce flutter in that pit of her stomach. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes as she slowly raised her head, biting at her bottom lip as hope bloomed inside of her. “Peter?” she tentatively murmured his name.

“Actually, it’s Alex…Alex Bristow,” he sheepishly replied. “It’s a very long, very sordid tale, but I would love the chance to tell you about it if you would be so kind as to give me a chance. I know that I don’t deserve it, Hannah, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and I’d very much like it if we could possibly start all over again.”

“Alex?” she whispered as she walked out from behind the desk to face him, stunned by the revelation and yet elated with his unexpected appearance.

Alex slowly nodded his head as he turned to face her, hoping that she would give him a chance to make things right. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” he told her, tentatively reaching out to touch her cheek.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either,” she softly said.

The corners of his lips curled with her confession, more than relieved. “How do you feel about visiting London?” he asked, hope lacing his voice.

“I’d love to,” she replied with a warm smile, taking his hand.

“I live in a drafty, old mansion just outside of London,” he revealed. “I hope that won’t be a problem.”

“Not at all,” Hannah reassured him as she removed her badge and placed it on the desk before allowing him to lead her away. “I’ve always wanted to see England.”

“Well then, you are in luck because I have a private jet at the airport waiting to take us there,” he announced, lacing his fingers with hers as they exited the hotel.

“What about my things…my apartment?” she asked.

“If you like it in London, we can have your things shipped to my mansion.”

Hannah pulled him to a stop, a grin lighting her face as she leaned in and kissed him deeply as her arms slipped around his neck. Alex readily returned her kiss, amazed at how his life had turned around for the better since he met Batman.

Many have said that he’s nothing more than an urban myth, others swearing that he’s a terrifying demon incarnate, but to Alex, he was a hero. Batman had caught a thief that night, but he had saved the heart of the man, allowing him a second chance at life. For that alone, he’d be eternally grateful.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you all for the faves, follows, and reviews. I'm truly humbled by your support for my BMWW fics. Even if we never get BMWW in the comics or anywhere else, we have the most AWESOME fandom anywhere. It's up to us to keep it alive and growing no matter what happens!
> 
> For those of you who read the cliffhanger chapter, I was actually considering having both Bruce and Diana die together in that scene, reuniting them in Elysium, but I didn't want to cause everyone to have cardiac arrest. I know I always do a happy ending, but I was very tempted to do a bittersweet one. If I do a sad or bittersweet ending, I'll be sure to warn you if you want. :)
> 
> UP NEXT:
> 
> Family Ties (Already wrote Chp 1 and starting Chp 2)
> 
> What Lies Beneath (Sequel to Murder at Wayne Manor; Working on Chp 19 now and hope to start posting it in the coming weeks)
> 
> Deadly Intentions (Diana's secret admirer turns out to be a deadly stalker that no one expected. Can Batman get to the bottom of who is stalking her before it's too late?)
> 
> To Save an Amazon (Sequel to To Catch a Thief)
> 
> Suspicious Minds ("Starcrossed" is the next episode to explore!)
> 
> Love you guys to pieces! Thanks so much for sharing my BMWW obsession with me. :)


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